LOS ANGELES—A cold storm slowly advanced toward the Southland Feb. 21, with forecasters warning of windy, chilly, and wet conditions that will persist well into the weekend.
National Weather Service forecasters called the system “a very complex storm event” that will bring “significant impacts” to the region, “some not experienced in decades.”
Los Angeles County
A winter storm warning will be in effect in the Los Angeles County mountains from 7 p.m. Tuesday through 4 p.m. Saturday, with forecasters anticipating snow levels dropping to 1,500 feet by Wednesday morning, and up to 5 inches of snow falling by Wednesday night, accompanied by winds gusting as high as 75 mph.
Forecasters said 2 to 5 feet of snow could accumulate by Saturday night in elevations over 4,000 feet, but some isolated areas could get as much as 7 feet. Accumulations of 6 to 12 inches are possible by Saturday night at elevations as low as 2,000 feet, with “significant snowfall” expected on “most major mountain passes.”
The Antelope Valley will be under a less severe winter weather advisory from 4 a.m. Wednesday to 4 a.m. Friday, with 3 to 6 inches of snow possible in the foothills and 1 to 3 inches on the valley floor, all accompanied by winds of up to 65 mph.
Windy weather will be the primary early impact of the storm system, with forecasters predicting widespread gusts of 30 to 50 mph in many areas, while the mountains and Antelope Valley could get gusts from 55 to 75 mph.
“There will be the potential for tree damage and power outages just due to winds alone through Wednesday, along with travel impacts at our major airports,” according to the National Weather Service. “Snow levels drop rapidly from the current 6,000 feet range to near 1,000 feet tomorrow [Wednesday].”
Several inches of snow could fall Wednesday on the Grapevine section of the Golden State (5) Freeway, forecasters said.
Scattered rain and snow showers are anticipated to continue Thursday, with the snow level hovering around 2,500 feet, forecasters said.
Temperatures in most valley and coastal areas will remain in the 50s into Friday.
Rain and snow are expected to get heavier Thursday night through early Saturday, with some areas seeing rainfall rates of a half-inch to 1 inch per hour, “bringing a threat of urban flooding and issues near recent burn areas,” according to the agency.
Overall, Los Angeles County coasts and valleys could get a total of 2 to 4 inches of rain, with some foothill areas possibly receiving 4 to 6 inches.
“Low snow levels will mean that this could be the largest amount of 24–48 hour snowfall seen in decades for our Ventura and Los Angeles County mountains,” according to the weather agency.
San Diego County
A cold weather system will also push across San Diego County starting Feb. 21, bringing gusty winds, rain, and unusually low snow levels.A winter storm watch will be in effect Tuesday evening through Saturday afternoon in the San Diego County mountains, with forecasters calling for “heavy snow” and winds gusting as high as 90 mph.
The strongest winds are expected through Wednesday, with the best chances of significant snowfall on Thursday and Friday. According to the National Weather Service, travel “could be very difficult to impossible.”
A high wind warning is in effect for San Diego coastal areas, including Oceanside, Vista, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Chula Vista, National City, and San Diego from 10 p.m. Tuesday until 8 p.m. Wednesday, with gusts of up to 60 mph possible.
A high wind warning will be in effect from 4 p.m. Tuesday to 6 p.m. Wednesday in the San Diego County deserts, with winds of 35 to 55 mph expected, along with isolated gusts up to 85 mph.
A less serious wind advisory will be in place from 10 p.m. Tuesday to 6 p.m. Wednesday in San Diego County valleys, where gusts could reach 45 mph.
