Snow by the Hollywood sign? How a rare winter storm walloped California – National

Californians continue to dig in from a series of rare winter snowfalls that have seen millions of cubic yards of snow fall over the past week, according to the governor’s office.

California has been in a state of emergency since last week after a series of storms in late February and early March.

Governor Gavin Newsom’s office said in a news release Sunday that officials had cleared more than 7.2 million cubic yards of snow from state highways in San Bernardino County as of March 4. This amount is equivalent to about 2,270 pools.

In addition, private contractors cleared an additional 970,000 cubic yards of snow from other routes throughout the state.

Let’s take a look at how a very unusual snowstorm hit the Golden State – including some areas around Tinseltown.

Northern California got a little respite on Monday after heavy snowfall over the weekend, but forecasters said there could be up to several feet of snow by the middle of the week, followed by flooding concerns.

A long stretch of the Sierra Nevada is under avalanche warning.

Meanwhile, forecasters said the next Pacific storm, arriving later in the week, will be associated with a moderately strong atmospheric river.

“Large amounts of subtropical moisture will move into the interior of central California along the southern edge of this storm system Thursday night through Friday night,” the National Weather Service said.

Search parties rescued Californians stranded for days in several feet of snow after a series of storms ravaged the state’s mountainous terrain, leaving many trapped in their homes.

In Inyo County, east of the Sierra Nevada, volunteer rescue teams spent days trying to locate a man who last disappeared on February 24, but he was forced out of the Big Pine community. was California Highway Patrol identified a cell phone ping linked to the man on Thursday and dispatched a helicopter crew to find the partially snow-covered vehicle with the man waving inside. bottom.

In the San Bernardino Mountains, sheriff officials rescued two 17-year-old boys who were trying to hike part of the Pacific Crest Trail on Friday. They were prepared for the long hike with their backpacks, sleeping bags and food, but not for the heavy snowstorm that followed. 4-5 feet (1.2-1.5 meters) of drift and limited visibility made it difficult to stay there. Trail, the county sheriff’s department said in a statement.

The teenager stopped communicating with one of the fathers via an app, and he called the Sheriff’s Department, who sent a helicopter to the boy’s last known location.

Authorities spotted footprints from the air and tracked them down to find the teens, who were slightly hypothermic and had gathered together for three nights to keep warm. John Scalise of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

“They knew there would be weather, but I don’t think they expected that amount of money,” Scalise said. “I’ve been doing search and rescue operations for the last 18 years, and I can tell you these kids should have died.”

A state of emergency has been declared in 13 counties, including San Bernardino County, where heavy snow has closed roads, caused power outages, collapsed roofs, and trapped residents in their homes for a week or more.

Some residents may be trapped for an additional week due to the difficulty of removing large amounts of snow. The Red Cross has set up shelters in local high schools and food distribution centers in several communities.

Katie Curtis, a resident of the San Bernardino Mountains community of Crestline, walked five miles (8 km) in her snowshoes to deliver a can of gasoline to her housebound family to fuel a generator. ) said he hiked.

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“I’m healthy, so I thought I’d be able to walk, and I did. But it was probably the longest day of my life,” Curtis said, noting that someone in the family needed medical care.

The car is buried in snow, and it is said that it is piled up to the roof of the house.

“We are all very exhausted,” she said.

Meanwhile, in Southern California, officials continued work to clear roads and distribute food, water and blankets to residents stranded in the snowstorm-hit San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles.

San Bernardino County said Sunday that 79 percent of the county-managed roads in the area were open to traffic, with at least one lane open. However, county and state transportation departments are not allowed to cultivate private land.

As of Friday, officials said some residents stranded in the mountains of Southern California due to heavy snowfall could remain stranded for another week.

Thousands of people live in high-elevation forest communities or enjoy year-round recreation in the San Bernardino Mountains.

San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus estimates that prospects for stranded residents have improved, which previously took up to two weeks.

“The enormity of this event is difficult to comprehend,” said state legislator Tom Lackey.

“You know, we think, ‘We’re in Southern California,’ but there’s still flooding, and it’s causing a lot of anxiety, frustration, and hardship, especially for victims and those who’ve been affected. Brought in. Locked in my own house.”

Using files from Associated Press.

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