Parts of California remained under severe winter weather warnings Saturday while state officials advised against travel for the duration of the weekend. Photo courtesy of California Department of Transportation District 5
Feb. 25 (UPI) — Parts of California remained under severe winter weather warnings for a second day on Saturday as state officials continued to discourage travel for the duration of the weekend.
The atmospheric river system moved into Southern California from the northern part of the state on Friday, pelting the region with heavy bouts of rain and snow and leading to several dramatic rescues in Los Angeles Saturday, fire department officials reported.
A 61-year-old was airlifted to safety amid rising water levels while four homeless people and several dogs also had to be rescued. At least two people were hospitalized with hypothermia.
The heavy precipitation delayed well over two dozen flights into and out of Los Angeles International Airport, which set a daily rainfall record along with several other areas.
“An anomalous low pressure system will continue to produce heavy rainfall and thunderstorms over parts of southern California where a slight risk of excessive rainfall is in effect for today,” the National Weather Service said in its latest update Saturday.
Thousands of customers remained without power as mid-day Saturday.
Blizzard warnings are also in effect through Sunday in the central and southern Sierra Nevada and Transverse and Peninsular mountain ranges.
The last time the service’s Los Angeles office issued a blizzard warning was 1989.
“Travel is not advised this weekend as severe storms are creating difficult driving conditions. Level 2 chain controls in effect,” the California Department of Transportation tweeted Saturday.
The California Highway Patrol closed a section of Interstate 5 and Hwy.14 Saturday morning.
Elevations in California over 4,500 feet could see as much as 5 feet of snowfall before the storm leaves the area, forecasters predicted.