Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/LOS ANGELES: As a winter storm grips southern California this weekend, snowflakes have fallen in Los Angeles, including around the city’s iconic Hollywood sign.
San Francisco set a 132-year low temperature of 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius).
Blizzard, wind, and flood warnings were issued for tens of millions of California residents on Friday morning. The storms have rendered nearly a million properties inaccessible from coast to coast. Interstate 5, the West Coast’s main highway, was partially closed south of the Oregon border. Los Angeles, known for its palm trees and sun-kissed boulevards, is under a blizzard warning for the first time in over three decades.
Hollywood sign on Mount Lee
On Friday, people in the city marveled at the unusual sight of a snow flurry around the Hollywood sign on Mount Lee. However, flooding in North Hollywood trapped cars, and officials warned of large scope in neighborhoods throughout the surrounding county. “Significant hill snows are likely Friday night into early Saturday, with significant effects to travel and infrastructure,” the National Weather Service (NWS) warned.
Swimmers on the state’s world-famous beaches were warned to beware of “strong rip currents and high surf,” according to the NWS. Snowfall in mountain communities is expected to range between 2ft and 7ft (60cm and 2.1m).
Some areas have received avalanche warnings. According to the Los Angeles Times, some weather forecasters saw thunder and snow. The unusual phenomenon, which combines lightning and blizzards, can sometimes accompany severe winter storms.
The Mojave Desert, Santa Clarita Valley, and the Inland Empire will also receive a rare blanket of snow. The storm dumped snow along the West Coast earlier in the week, including in Portland, Oregon, which experienced one of its snowiest days on record.
