San Bernardino County mountains brace for storm to dump up to 5 feet of snow amid blizzard warning

RUNNING SPRINGS, Calif. (KABC) — A blizzard warning was issued for the San Bernardino County mountains ahead of “extremely heavy snow and extremely high winds expected,” the National Weather Service said Thursday, with the forecast calling for as much as five feet of snow in the area.

The blizzard warning, “the first issued by this office,” is scheduled to begin at 4 a.m. Friday and remain in effect until 4 p.m. Saturday, the National Weather Service San Diego said in a tweet.

Travel is expected to be “very difficult to impossible” in the area, the agency said, adding that hazardous conditions will impact the morning and evening commute. “Visibility will be near zero.”

The San Bernardino county alert comes on the heels of a similarly rare blizzard warning that was issued earlier this week for the Los Angeles and Ventura County mountains, also from 4 a.m. Friday to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Forecasters said up to 5 feet of snow could accumulate in the mountains above 4,000 feet, accompanied by wind gusts topping 80 mph. Higher elevations could see as much as 8 feet of snow, with accumulations of 6 to 12 inches possible at elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 feet, “including most major mountain passes.”

“Travel should be restricted to emergencies only,” according to the National Weather Service. “If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle.”