Winter storm blanketing Southern California mountains with snow, creating dangerous road conditions
PALMDALE, Calif. (KABC) -- A frigid winter storm is moving across Southern California, dropping snow on mountains and bringing cold temperatures.
A winter weather advisory will be in effect until noon Wednesday in the Los Angeles County Mountains and the Antelope Valley.
Forecasters said the mountains could see snow accumulating up to 3 inches, with 5 inches possible in some localized areas and the snow level falling as low as 2,000 feet by Wednesday morning. The snowy conditions will be accompanied by winds gusting up to 45 mph.
The Antelope Valley could receive as much as an inch of snow on the valley floor, with up to 2 inches falling in the foothills. Winds will also gust through that area, reaching up to 50 mph.
In other parts of Southern California, video showed near whiteout conditions on Highway 18 toward Big Bear.
The storm also brought the threat of rain, raising the risk in recent burn areas like Lytle Creek.
With several inches of snow possible in the mountains, driving conditions on roads could be impacted.
The sudden drop in temperatures, combined with precipitation is also creating potentially dangerous conditions in the Grapevine area of the 5 Freeway and the 15 Freeway through the Cajon Pass - which could mean snow and ice covering the freeway.
While the storm is making visibility tough for drivers in the mountains, it has snow lovers hitting the slopes and soaking up the fresh powder.
Forecasters said cold conditions will continue through Wednesday, with drier weather expected on Thursday, along with a slight warming trend that will last into the weekend.
City News Service contributed to this report.
