Brrr! Cold Storm Heads To Monrovia

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Southland braced for another cold storm Wednesday and the return of icy freeways, wind gusts and snow at unusually low elevations.

Forecasters expected the storm to move in Wednesday afternoon, dropping snow levels as low as 1,500 feet by Thursday, bringing the threat of snow on the grapevine again. The latest storm comes just days after thousands of motorists were caught unaware and trapped by snow on the 5 Freeway.

However, the cold storm isn't expected to last long. Dry conditions are forecast for Friday through early next week. And temperatures will begin climbing again. But until then, residents in the the Santa Clarita Valley and the western reaches of the San Fernando Valley are under frost advisories.

Though unusually cold, the latest storm isn't expected to drop anywhere near as much rain as last week's torrential storm. National Weather Service forecasters said rainfall amounts are expected to be less than 0.25 inches across coastal and valley areas, with between 0.25 and 0.50 inches across the foothills and mountains. But some areas could get more rain in the event of more intensive showers or thunderstorms. Showers were expected to start in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties Wednesday morning, spreading into Ventura and Los Angeles counties by Wednesday afternoon or evening.

Snow levels are expected to range between 3,000 and 3,500 feet Wednesday, falling to between 2,500 and 3,000 feet Wednesday evening and to 1,500 feet Thursday, according to an NWS statement.

Snow amounts are generally expected to range between 1 to 3 inches in the San Gabriel Mountains and foothills above 2,500 feet, although accumulation of 3 to 6 inches is possible in the eastern San Gabriels.

Elevations between 1,500 and 2,500 feet could potentially see a dusting to minor accumulations of snow. This includes the Antelope Valley, the Santa Monica Mountains, the higher valleys of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and coastal foothills, the statement said.

Winter Weather advisories denoting dreadful travel conditions will be issued for all mountains and the Antelope Valley, according to the NWS. Major low elevation roadways at risk for snow showers and icy road include Interstate 5 from the Grapevine to the Santa Clarita Valley, the Antelope Valley (14) Freeway and Pearblossom (138) Highway through the Antelope Valley and Soledad Canyon, plus points north, including San Luis Obispo County roads.

The very cold air aloft will help to destabilize the atmosphere on Thursday, bringing the threat of brief heavy downpours, small hail, and even a slight chance of thunderstorms. But by Friday, the system will have moved to Arizona, and the Southland will be sunny and cool, with highs still in the 50s, with a warming trend to follow Saturday through Tuesday.

The NWS forecast showers in L.A. County Wednesday and highs of 37 degrees on Mount Wilson; 47 in Lancaster; 48 in Palmdale; 51 in Saugus; 54 in Avalon; 55 in Pasadena and Burbank; 56 in San Gabriel; 57 in Woodland Hills and at LAX; and 58 in Downtown L.A. and Long Beach. Similar conditions are expected Thursday, followed by slightly higher temperatures and sunny and partly cloudy skies through Tuesday.

Showers are also forecast in Orange County Wednesday, along with highs of 32 on Santiago Peak; 45 on Ortega Highway at 2,600 feet; 50 in Fremont Canyon; 51 in Trabuco Canyon; 54 in Yorba Linda; 55 in Laguna Beach, San Clemente and Mission Viejo; 56 in Newport Beach; 57 in Anaheim and Irvine; and 58 in Fullerton. Similar conditions are expected Thursday, followed by higher temperatures and mostly sunny weather.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report. Photo: FILE - This Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019 file photo shows California's mountains glistening with snow behind the Los Angeles skyline and homes above a normally-brown hillside. In just a matter of weeks, a very wet winter has greatly reduced drought conditions in California as a series of storms coated mountains with heavy blankets of snow and unleashed drenching rains. The U.S. Drought Monitor reports Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019 that about a third of the state has no significant dryness and only about 10 percent of the state falls into categories of drought. (AP Photo/Damian Doverganes, File)