A Huge Winter Storm Is Coming, So It’s Time To Rethink Those Weekend Mountain Plans

A major snow system moving into California is expected to wallop the Sierra Nevada over the weekend, creating dangerous blizzard conditions. And while the effects won’t be as severe in the Southland, officials say snow and rain showers can create hazardous driving conditions for places like Big Bear or Mammoth.

Brittany Whitlam, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Reno, said Tahoe City has received 72 inches of snow so far and is projected to receive another 4 to 6 feet over the next three days. Travel, she added, should be avoided. An blizzard warning is in effect for one swath of the Sierra Nevada through Sunday.

“You are not going to be able to see anything,” she said. “It’s really disorienting and just extremely dangerous to be out there in those conditions.”

The Central Sierra slopes including the Greater Lake Tahoe area are under avalanche warning through Sunday at 5 p.m. from Friday morning through Sunday, prompting one ski resort to close.

Mammoth Mountain could see up to 6 feet of snow along the Sierra Crest with the National Weather Service saying the high peaks in the Sierra range could receive over 12 feet of snow. All Lake Tahoe ski resorts closed Friday.

The snow storm has also led to the shutdown of Yosemite National Park. Officials took to the Park's Facebook page to share that the park will remain closed until Sunday afternoon and will only reopen depending on weather conditions. Visitors currently at the park are advised to leave by noon, Friday.

What about locally?

Kristan Lund, meteorologist at National Weather Service in Oxnard, said the storm system will bring light rain to Southern California through Saturday night, with half an inch expected in the coasts and valleys and up to 2 inches in the mountains and interior valleys like San Gabriel and San Fernando.

Will we see snow too?

Elevations above 6,500 feet could receive up to 12 inches of snow, particularly in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains. The Grapevine, meanwhile, only has a 10% chance of receiving 1 inch of snow.

Road closures

State Route 2 from Mt. Wilson Red Box Road to Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road, and from Islip Saddle to Vincent Gulch, remains closed for emergency repairs from last winter. But Caltrans is asking people to avoid mountain travel altogether.

State Route 33 will also continue to be closed from Matilija Hot Springs Road to the Ozena Fire Station in Los Padres National Forest as crews repair damage also sustained from the previous winter season.