Massive storm to lash Southern California with three days of rain and snow
By Jeff Gammage
5 December 2018
The National Weather Service issued two severe storm warnings for the state Thursday, a rare event that has not happened since November 2015.
The weather service warned that a massive storm was coming that would bring as much as 3 feet of snow and torrential rain and mudslides to Southern California.
The last time weather officials issued a warning for a similar event was on Nov. 15, 2015, when one storm brought heavy rains and mudslides to the mountain communities of San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The first warning was issued on Nov. 15; the second on Nov. 27. By the time the second warning went out, the storm was moving west along the coast, and by the end of the day, it had moved into Southern California.
The storm was going to be one of the heaviest in living memory, with at least 3 feet of snowfall in the mountains, and as much as 2 feet in the valleys. Even more rain was expected, with 1 to 4 inches predicted in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Snow-blanketing the mountains of Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties was predicted to extend to as much as 2 feet. In Southern California, the storm was expected to impact the San Diego area with up to 4 feet of snow in some pockets.
The weather service issued the alerts Thursday afternoon, after heavy rain, snow, gusty winds and damaging low-level winds and lightning overnight. The precipitation made its way from the mountains of Sonora, as well as the foothills of San Bernardino and Orange counties.
The snow was expected to begin falling in the foothills of San Bernardino and Orange and Riverside counties by Thursday afternoon. Snow also was forecast to start falling in the Santa Ana Mountains in Southern California by Friday, with a few storms reaching as far inland as Oceanside and Huntington Beach. The weather