Authorities warned residents to take precautions, including staying off the roads if possible, and to be prepared for dangerous driving conditions.
Residents of the western United States were warned by authorities that severe weather, including blizzards, could create hazardous driving conditions. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a warning on Friday that the “cold and dangerous winter storm” could linger through Saturday in California, with blizzard warnings in effect for mountain ranges across the state. The Los Angeles branch of the NWS tweeted a reminder to “please be safe”.
The winter storm has been reducing in intensity in other parts of the US, such as the Midwest and the Great Plains, where it caused power outages for more than 900,000 people, killed a firefighter and disrupted travel over the past few days. FlightAware.com reported that nearly 300 flights around the US were cancelled and more than 900 were delayed on Friday. Major roads, including Interstate 5, were closed south of the Oregon border.
The storm has brought heavy rain, snow, wind and even waterspouts or small tornadoes to California. Forecaster Belen De Leon warned NBC4 viewers in Los Angeles not to be on the roads. Flood watches and warnings were also in effect in some areas of California, and evacuation orders were issued for areas that had already been heavily impacted by a series of atmospheric rivers in December and January. These storms had dumped 121 trillion litres (32 trillion gallons) of water on California, causing evacuations, power outages and flooding.
The cold temperatures have raised concerns about the weather’s effects on vulnerable communities. California has the largest homeless population in the US, and many more people lack access to consistent shelter or housing able to withstand the elements. Terry Stephens, who lives in a trailer with her son, told the Los Angeles Times that she was “freezing” despite having three blankets on her.
The prospect of snow and extreme cold has been met with surprise and amusement by Californians who are used to temperate weather. The Santa Barbara Independent started its weather coverage by acknowledging the unusual circumstances with the headline “Blizzards in Santa Barbara County? Yep”. Authorities urged residents to take precautions such as avoiding roads if possible and being prepared for dangerous driving conditions.