California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in several counties amid a winter storm that brought snow to Los Angeles.
Newsom deployed the national guard on Wednesday to assist residents, especially in San Bernardino County, where some have been trapped in their homes for days
Wind, freeze and winter storm warnings were issued by The National Weather Service throughout the sunny state effective until Thursday as temperatures hit sub-freezing lows down to 26 degrees Fahrenheit in certain areas.
The National Guard is working with local law enforcement to open shelters for residents and help deliver food and water to those trapped, according to the governor’s office.
Southern California mountain ranges were hit by several feet of snow and residents begged the governor for help clearing the roads as food and water supplies run low.
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in several counties amid a winter storm that brought snow to Los Angeles. Pictured: a palm tree in LA as snow fell on Wednesday
Newsom deployed the national guard on Wednesday to assist residents, especially in San Bernardino County, where some have been trapped in their homes for days. Pictured: A church buried in snow in the San Bernardino Mountain Range
‘There are roofs collapsing everywhere, people are needing assistance and rescues. All of the stores are running low on food and water supplies. The gas stations barely have any gas,’ Lake Arrowhead resident Miyah Nelson told KTLA.
‘We need our roads cleared so that way people can get out of their homes. They’re all trapped.’
The counties named in the emergency declaration include Amador, Kern, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, Nevada, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Sierra, Sonoma and Tulare.
Some areas not included in the declaration were not ordered to evacuate, including residents in Olympic Valley, east of Sacramento.
An avalanche struck an apartment building in the area around 7pm on Tuesday, according to the Sierra Sun. No injuries were reported.
Gas stations were seen covered in feet of snow in the San Bernardino mountains on Wednesday. Pictured: a gas station in Running Springs
A man was seen walking through snow in the San Bernardino Mountains on Monday as several people were trapped in their homes
Wind, freeze and winter storm warnings were issued by The National Weather Service issued scattered throughout the sunny state as temperatures hit sub-freezing lows down to 26 degrees Fahrenheit in certain areas
Several people up and down the state appeared to be trapped in by the storm, including workers at the Sugar Bowl Resort in Norden, California – East of Sacramento
Earlier this week, San Bernardino County declared a state of emergency as crews struggled to plow blocked roads.
Jennifer Cobb and her husband, vacationing in the San Bernardino Mountains, found themselves trapped for a week by a relentless series of storms.
‘We hear the phantom sounds of plows, but they never come,’ said Cobb, 49. ‘Being stuck up here in this beautiful place shouldn’t be awful, but it is.’
In the mountain town of Crestline, some people unable to drive trudged on foot to the grocery store.
But Michael Johnstone said his family’s store was running low Tuesday on key inventory.
‘We’re completely out of bread. Milk is getting really light. We’re almost completely out of produce,’ Johnstone said. Authorities escorted two full grocery trucks up to the mountain community, he said, but just in time for the new storm to add more snow.
Several Angelenos were blown away at the rare sighting and posted photos of snow touching near the famous Hollywood sign
A worker was seen in Hesperia, California plowing snow along State Route 138 on Wednesday
Snow fell at low elevations in the southern end of the state on Wednesday making an unusual appearance in areas stretching to from Orange County to Los Angeles.
Several Angelenos were blown away at the rare sighting and posted photos of snow touching near the famous Hollywood sign.
The snow even made it down to Disneyland in Anaheim for the first time since 1882, according to Deadline.
The storm left about 100,000 homes and businesses in the state without power as of Wednesday.
It is now expected to spread snow, ice and strong winds into parts of the Great Plains, Midwest and Northeast by the end of the week, with the Boston area expected to see several more inches of snow by Friday.
