Bring out the hand warmers and get ready to be extra careful on the roads. The National Weather Service forecasts a cold, blustery winter storm from Canada heading our way in Southern California starting Tuesday.
Get our latest storm report: Tens Of Thousands Are Without Power As Winter Storm Moves Through Region
Brace yourself for very windy and much cooler conditions by Tuesday tonight — along with a chance of showers and even snow at low elevations.
"It's going to bring a lot of cold air and a lot of wind," explained Andrew Roarke, a meteorologist with the NWS told us, "looking for 70 mph gusts in the mountains and 60 miles per hour gusts in Antelope Valley, and probably 30 to 40 mph gusts in the valleys."
By Wednesday, Southern California's mountains will see wind gusts up to 50 mph with afternoon high temperatures dropping to the mid-50s, so it'll be uncomfortable going outside.
NWS officials are warning it will be "the coldest storm of the season, and possibly of the last several years."
Adding: "Snow or graupel may even occur across some elevated valleys!"
The bulk of the rain will start Thursday and that could bring three to four inches of rain across the area.
Travelers should be prepared for possible road closures or delays.
With the upcoming storm, there are some significant marine issues expected:
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) February 19, 2023
- Gale force winds (gusts 35-45 kts) Tue thru Wed evening
- High surf Tue-Thu
* 9-15 feet #CentralCoast
* 6-10 feet elsewhere
- Potential breaking waves at harbors#CAwx pic.twitter.com/3v9p1YGBq2
You might remember graupel from the last time it fell in Southern California, to the delight of many people, including those here in our newsroom.
Here's the definition from the National Oceanic and Atmosphere's (NOAA) severe weather lab:
Graupel are soft, small pellets formed when supercooled water droplets (at a temperature below 32°F) freeze onto a snow crystal, a process called riming. If the riming is particularly intense, the rimed snow crystal can grow to an appreciable size, but remain less than 0.2 inches. Graupel is also called snow pellets or soft hail, as the graupel particles are particularly fragile and generally disintegrate when handled.
Prolonged VERY COLD and unsettled pattern on track for late Tuesday through possibly next weekend!
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) February 20, 2023
Low confidence on storm details given its Alaskan origin and this rare pattern. Widespread significant rain and mountain/high desert snow is possible.#CAwx #CArain pic.twitter.com/6Q0GXV3EOh
Roark told us snow will be as low as 2,000 feet, "which will bring snow to the major mountain passes, perhaps as low as to the foothills in some of the valleys. This precipitation should last through Saturday."
Resort level areas will see up between two to four feet of snow at elevations above 7,000 feet and major mountain passes like the Grapevine and the Soledad Pass off Route 14 to Palmdale will see 5 to 6 inches of snow.
[View the document here if the embed doesn't load for you: L.A. County winter shelters]
Here's an excerpt from our guide to understanding flood warnings:
Read more: Flash Flood Warnings? Watches? Here’s What You Need To Know
We will be watching the roads closely as the storm moves in and will update you on conditions. We know the Grapevine passing on the I-5 is a perennial issue for drivers when there's snow or high winds, so be sure to check before using that route. Last week CHP officers had to escort traffic through the area.
Authorities also say Soledad Pass along the 14 to Palmdale may see 5 to 6 inches of snow.
The NWS is already warning travelers to be prepared for possible road closures or delays.
We have more detailed guidance: Your Guide To Driving Safely In The Rain In LA (And Really Anywhere).
While the price of natural gas has come down from the sky-high levels that had many of us shocked at our gas bills, staying warm on a budget is still a concern.
State law requires residential units to have heating systems that can keep indoor temperatures at a minimum of 70 degrees. That means every dwelling unit and guest room offered for rent or lease should offer heating equipment, usually central air conditioning (A/C) or a wall heater. — Caitlin Hernández
Use heat smartly to save money: Cranking things like the A/C and wall heaters can be expensive. If money is tight, be judicious about how and when you use your utilities. For example, only use heaters at night or only set the thermostat to around 70 degrees.
Open and close those vents: If you have central A/C, look at where the vents are around your home. Are any open in places where you don’t stay long? Practice opening and closing those so warm air only goes where you need it (most vents should have a small toggle lever). Humidifiers can also help you warm things up — and it’s useful to add moisture into our dry air.
Adjust your wall heaters: If you have a wall heater, you can change the output by adjusting the knob (usually at the bottom). Since wall heaters can only warm the areas where they’re placed, it’s essential to close doors to rooms you won’t be in so hot air doesn’t get wasted.
Turn on your ceiling fan (really): If you have a ceiling fan, try turning it on. This sounds counterintuitive, but there’s science behind it. The direction a fan turns can push air in different directions, and since hot air floats up, you’ll want to move that around. Your fan should spin clockwise to create an updraft to circulate. Not all fans will have this option, though.
We're still in a drought. As our reporter Jacob Margolis noted during the first storms of the year, this is normal for our rainy season. Even if we see an average amount of precipitation, higher temperatures from climate change mean everything dries out faster — making drought conditions worse.
Still, the rains have helped improve our drought situation. Here's the difference in conditions from January to now, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor:
This story has been reported by Gillian Morán Pérez, with contributions from previous storm reporting. We will update this piece throughout the week.
