Expect a cold, wet and windy Thanksgiving in Southern California; travel may be delayed
As Southern California residents begin to prepare for Thanksgiving meals and travel, they can also brace for a holiday storm.
Blowing from the northwest toward Alaska is a major storm system that promises to blanket the region with cold and wet weather.
That could prove to be a nightmare for holiday travel, whether by air or road, National Weather Service officials warned Saturday.
Significant winter storm on track to impact SW Calif Tue night-Fri. Major holiday travel impacts likely due to low elevation snow/flooded roadways causing significant travel delays/potential road closures. Check latest forecasts/road conditions. #LAWeaher #LArain #cawx pic.twitter.com/zm6Kh8vUbV
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) November 23, 2019
A major winter storm will bring low snow levels and widespread rain to the area Wed-Fri. If you’re traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday expect hazardous travel conditions. Use https://t.co/6fKX7YyGlK for road conditions and https://t.co/kFRJFQ7heO for the latest forecast! #CAwx pic.twitter.com/T3SsuhLjM0
— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) November 23, 2019
Roads in the mountains and in the Grapevine area on the 5 Freeway northwest of Los Angeles are expected to be icy and hazardous, said NWS officials, causing possible closures and delays. Snowfall may also interrupt travel along the 14 and 33 Highways.
Valley areas may see roadway flooding, the Weather Service said. Burn areas from recent wildfires may dissolve into debris flows. And at the region’s airports, the storm also brings the possibility of significant flight delays.
For live travel alert and road condition updates, Caltrans has a comprehensive map available for the public.
Rainfall is expected to be erratic and uneven, coming in the form of isolated thunderstorms, said Kaley Delerme, meteorologist with the NWS Los Angeles office. Though it is too early to tell which areas will receive the most rainfall, wherever it does rain, it will pour.
The worst of the storm will pour into the area on Thanksgiving Day, as well as the day before, with two to four inches of rain expected in Orange County and the Inland Empire; and one to three inches throughout Los Angeles County, said Casey Oswant, meteorologist with the NWS San Diego office.
The foothill and mountain areas may receive as much as five inches of precipitation, mostly snow in higher elevations.
As the storm approaches, temperatures are expected to cool into the 70s and 60s, Delerme said. As the storm hits the region on Wednesday, temperatures may drop to the 50s.
On Thanksgiving evening, temperatures may be as cold as 40 degrees.
Wind gusts are also expected throughout the area, Oswant said. In the mountains, speeds could reach up to 35 mph.
Chilly temperatures and rain showers, though lighter, are expected to continue into Friday and Saturday, Oswant said.
The holiday storm is the second major system to hit the region this month, following a wet Wednesday last week when rain, hail and snow pelted the area.