February storm brings rain, snow to California, Arizona

LOS ANGELES — Ice and snow showers made travel dicey on many of California’s mountain highways Wednesday as a very cold and windy storm moved through.

Many parts of the state experienced overnight freezing temperatures and a widespread hard freeze was predicted for early Thursday.

Chains were required on major Sierra Nevada routes and icy conditions disrupted travel over Interstate 5 in Tejon Pass between Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley and on State Route 58 in the Tehachapi Mountains east of Bakersfield.

Massive traffic jams backed up on I-5 as big rigs and cars were prevented from going over the high-elevation summit and were turned around.

More than a foot of new snow was reported by the Big Bear Mountain Resort in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles. Mammoth Mountain in the Eastern Sierra reported up to 6 inches of snow from the storm.

Showers and snowfall were expected to wind down through the day as the cold low pressure system centered over Nevada moves east and weakens on Thursday, the National Weather Service said.

White stuff in Arizona

A storm dropped about a foot of snow in parts of Arizona’s high country Wednesday, hampering travel and closing schools in some areas.

The National Weather Service had issued a storm warning for an area stretching from Flagstaff to Show Low and including the Mogollon Rim, Kaibab Plateau and White Mountains.

The weather service said as much as 14 inches of snow were expected in the higher elevations.

Flagstaff officials said all non-essential services in the city would be operating on a two-hour delayed start Thursday morning due to inclement weather and poor road conditions.

Coconino Community College and Northern Arizona University’s Flagstaff campus also will operate on a delayed start Thursday with classes before 10 a.m. cancelled.

Arizona Department of Public Safety officials said there were some slide offs on Interstate 40 involving tractor-trailers but no serious injury collisions reported.

Portions of State Route 87, a major route between metro Phoenix and eastern Arizona, were closed between Payson and Winslow.

Flagstaff and Coconino County officials said plows were keeping roads open but warned of icy and snow-packed conditions and poor visibility.

Meanwhile, rain fell in some desert areas including parts of metro Phoenix.

The National Weather Service received reports of snow flurries in Fountain Hills, Carefree and north Scottsdale.