KTLA

Coldest storm of season moves into SoCal; snow possible at 2,000 feet

A storm system that forecasters are calling the coldest of the season is moving into Southern California Tuesday, bringing rain and snow to the region.

The storm will drop mostly light precipitation through Wednesday before moving out of the area, according to the National Weather Service.


Rainfall totals are expected to be between .10 and .25 inches, except for areas where there is a chance of thunderstorms, bringing up to .50 inches of rain.

Video showed heavy rainfall falling in Montclair at 4:30 a.m. Showers were falling even earlier in the La Verne area.

The bigger story with Tuesday’s storm will be the cold temperatures, which will allow snow to fall at very low elevations.

Many valley areas could see temperatures dropping into the 30s and low 40s, with 20s in the far inland areas, including the Antelope Valley.

A winter weather advisory has been issued from 6 a.m. Tuesday through noon Wednesday for Los Angeles and Ventura county mountain areas, as well as the Apple and Lucerne valleys, and the Santa Ana mountains and foothills.

Forecasters are calling for snow levels to begin at 4,000 feet Tuesday morning before dropping all the way to the 2,000-foot mark by Tuesday night.

Snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches are expected for elevations above 2,000 feet, with up to 5 inches falling in the San Gabriels, according to the Weather Service.

Snow and ice could impact travel on the 5 Freeway from Grapevine to Castaic, as well as Highways 14, 33, 138, 154 and 166, where road closures are possible.

Drivers are urged to prepare for winter driving conditions and check ahead for chain requirements. The latest conditions can be found on the Caltrans QuickMap.

Gusty winds associated with the system have also prompted officials to issue wind advisories for parts of Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties through Tuesday evening.

Warmer conditions are expected to return later this week and continue into the weekend.