According to the National Weather Service, it is one of the strongest storms to ever hit southwest California, with experts predicting a one-day respite before the next storm arrives on Monday.
A winter storm that crossed the Pacific delivered flooding, freezing temperatures, and snowfall to sections of Southern California for many days.
Rivers have risen to dangerous levels, and snow has poured in low-lying sections of Los Angeles, with some locations receiving more than 30 inches of snow with experts predicting more to come.
According to the National Weather Service, it was one of the strongest storms to ever hit southwest California, and it continued to have an impact even as the amount of wind and rain decreased.
Snow coated the hills around suburban Santa Clarita in Los Angeles’ northwestern outskirts, while snow also stunned inland areas to the east.
The storm weakened in the region late in the day, when uncommon blizzard warnings for the mountains and extensive flood alerts were lifted.
Forecasters predict a one-day respite before the next storm arrives on Monday.
More than 120,000 California utility customers were without power after several days of severe winds, downed trees, and broken wires, while Interstate 5, the West Coast’s main north-south roadway, remained closed due to heavy snow and ice near Tejon Pass in the mountains of north Los Angeles.
Multiday precipitation totals included 205cm (81 inches) of snow at Mountain High resort in the San Gabriel Mountains northeast of Los Angeles and up to 160cm (64 inches) at Snow Valley in the San Bernardino Mountains as of Saturday morning.
Rainfall totaled over 38.1cm (15 inches) in Los Angeles County’s Cogswell Dam and nearly 26.6cm (10.5 inches) in the city’s Woodland Hills neighbourhood.
“Truly a tremendous storm the last three days with historic quantities of precipitation and snow down to elevations that rarely see snow,” a weather office in the Los Angeles area wrote.
The Los Angeles Fire Department utilised a helicopter to rescue four homeless persons who were stranded in the primary flood control basin of the Los Angeles River – a river that is mostly dry all year.
According to a spokeswoman, two persons were brought to the hospital with hypothermia.
Meanwhile, the Santa Clara River took away three motorhomes early Saturday in the Valencia district of north Los Angeles County after slicing down an embankment where an RV park is located.
Although no one was injured, one resident described the scene as heartbreaking.
Lightning strikes closed down beaches in Los Angeles County as isolated bursts of snow, showers, and thunderstorms persisted before the storm, which was fueled by low pressure moving off the coast, eventually passed.
The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center has expected heavy snow in California’s Cascade Mountains and Sierra Nevada through the weekend.
Several inhabitants in the east were still dealing with the aftermath of storms that hit earlier in the week.
According to assessments from Michigan’s two major utilities, DTE and Consumers Energy, approximately 350,000 people were without power as of early Saturday afternoon. Both electricity suppliers said they hoped to bring the lights back on for most of their clients by Sunday night.
According to Consumers Energy spokesperson Brian Wheeler, almost half an inch of ice weighed down some power lines, similar to the weight of a baby grand piano.
