SOUTHLAND – (INT) – Southern California is in a lull between storms as extreme weather hitting the West Coast puts a damper on holiday festivities.

An evacuation warning came as the Sierras expected to see as much as 5 to 8 feet of snow over the holidays, with the possibility of snow piling up to 10 feet high at higher elevations, according to the National Weather Service. It warned against traveling through the mountains, with the snowfall expected to create hazardous driving conditions.
"Travel will be hazardous, even impassable at times, in the hardest hit locations with towering snow drifts and whiteout conditions," the weather service said in a statement.

In the San Bernardino Mountains, large sinkhole opened up amid heavy downpours in the San Bernardino Mountains Thursday night, prompting officials to close Highway 18 in both directions below Crestline.

Officials ultimately decided to close traffic in both directions until further notice.

Images from the scene show the highway’s guard rail leaning over along the section of missing road.

The mountain communities are expected to receive up to 6 inches of rain before the stormy weather moves out on Sunday. Lytle Creek had measured more than 8-inches in the Thursday night-Friday morning storm.

Snow in the higher elevations left about 25 vehicles trapped on Highway 38 Thursday.

Snow levels could fall as low as 3,000 feet by Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

Drivers are reminded that chains are required to travel in the mountains during winter conditions.

But while parts of the western U.S. face winter weather woes, residents in parts of the central and southern U.S. are expected to see record-breaking warm temperatures.
"In Christmas-speak, it means Snow Miser has control of the West while Heat Miser has full control of the weather in Southtown with no compromise of snow in Southtown this Christmas," the National Weather Service said in a festive forecast.

Story Date: December 25, 2021