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Los Angeles is on track to experience its longest cold snap in almost 20 years this week as another winter storm blasts the region with more low-elevation snow, strong winds and significant rain.

If forecasts pan out, Wednesday will be the eighth day in a row that downtown L.A. hasn’t topped 60 degrees — a chilly streak not seen in the city since 2005, according to the National Weather Service’s daily forecast discussion.

Los Angeles’ normal average for the month is 69 degrees, making this recent streak well below normal, said Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Oxnard.

“It’s been pretty darn cold,” Kittell said.

Though this streak could tie a similar eight-day cold snap in January 2005, it pales in comparison to the longest on record: 20 straight days under 60 degrees in 1949, according to Kittell.

Slight warming expected to begin by Thursday should break the streak far short of that record, Kittell said.

The lower temperatures, coupled with the moisture from a low-pressure system hanging over the state, could once again bring low-elevation snowfall to Southern California after last week’s rare event brought fresh powder to areas even lower than 1,500 feet, such as near the Hollywood sign.

Foothill communities including La Crescenta-Montrose, La Cañada Flintridge and Santa Clarita, as well as in the Antelope Valley, could see some snow by Wednesday morning, Kittell said.

“The amount of moisture is less, so we don’t expect a total repeat of what we had last week,” he said. “But they could see more snow.”

Snow levels Tuesday afternoon are forecast between 3,500 and 4,000 feet in elevation but are expected to drop rapidly to as low as 1,500 feet early Wednesday. At the highest elevations, up to 2 feet could fall by Wednesday from this latest storm on top of multiple feet on the ground from the last system — from which officials and residents are still working to recover.

A winter storm warning is in effect Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday for the mountains of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, with reduced visibility from snow likely to make travel “difficult to impossible,” the warning said. The weather is likely to cause disruptions along the Grapevine, the highest portions of Interstate 5 and the 14 Freeway going into the Antelope Valley, Kittell said.

Feb. 28, 2023

“The roadways will be the biggest concern,” he said.

San Bernardino County has declared a state of emergency because of the weather.

“The weight of recent snow combined with strong winds may down trees and power lines,” the winter storm warning for the mountains said.

Rainfall in lower elevations is also expected to be notable but manageable, Kittell said. The coasts and valleys can expect around 1 inch of rain through Wednesday from this storm system, and the foothills and mountains could see up to 3 inches.

Peak rain and snowfall are expected late Tuesday through Wednesday morning, Kittell said.

The latest storm has continued to cause damage across the region — despite being weaker than the previous system — with reports of downed trees, pockets of power outages and small mudslides early Tuesday.

L.A. firefighters responded to a dangerous debris flow on Mulholland Drive, closing the road between Deep Canyon Drive and Coldwater Canyon Avenue. The mud and debris damaged at least one home and one utility pole, but no one was injured, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Residents of some nearby homes were “calmly evacuated as a precaution,” the department said.

Due to the two recent storms, the city’s Street Services bureau has been inundated, with more than 2,000 calls for service in the last six days, according to Hector Banuelos, a street tree superintendent with Bureau of Street Services’ Urban Forestry Division.

“It’s been a bit crazy,” Banuelos said Tuesday. He said his division typically gets 20 or 30 calls a day to deal with downed trees and broken branches, among other tree issues — but this last week has seen a daily average of more than 300. Calls during the last storm “just exploded” on Saturday and continued at extremely high rates through Monday, he said. The high winds were especially rough on trees, uprooting many throughout the city, Banuelos said.

“We’re at a little lull right now,” he said. “It’s kind of giving us a chance to catch our breath.”

He said he’s hopeful the next 24 hours won’t bring significant weather to L.A., so his team can catch up on the almost 400 calls to which they still haven’t been able to respond.

“We’re busy, I have crews out right now,” Banuelos said. “We’re trying to get a handle on things.”

Weather officials forecast a “warming and drying trend” beginning Thursday, though more wet weather could return sometime next week.

This story recaps the forecast and weather on Feb. 22. Check our latest weather forecast for Thursday, Feb. 23.

Blizzards and winter weather are overtaking parts of Southern California, a region most known for its inviting weather.

Snow and freezing temperatures are expected throughout much of the state over the next few days, with advisories in effect in the Bay Area near San Francisco and further north through to the state line, according to the National Weather Service.

Californians join the more than 20 million Americans under winter storm warnings and 35 million people across the country under winter weather advisories this week, according to NWS.

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Blizzard warnings in the mountains over Los Angeles

Los Angeles and Ventura County residents living in mountains above the city of Los Angeles were advised to travel only for emergencies Wednesday morning as the area expected wind gusts up to 75 mph to whip in heavy snow and virtually eliminate any visibility. The blizzard and winter storm warnings, in effect until Saturday afternoon morning, said 2 to 7 feet of snow was expected to accumulate by Saturday night, with up to 12 inches at higher elevations.

Some areas also expected rains on Thursday and Friday. The Los Angeles NWS said Wednesday it knew of only one other blizzard warning issued for the area, in 1989.

Light snow had begun to fall on the Interstate 5 Grapevine mountain pass connecting the Los Angeles area to central California, the weather service said.

Winter weather and winter storm advisories were also in effect for San Bernardino and Riverside counties further inland from Los Angeles, and for parts of San Diego county further south.

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Freeze warning in San Francisco Bay area

Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 20 degrees were expected in some parts of the Bay Area along with wind gusts up to 50 mph, the NWS said.

Freeze warnings were expected to remain in effect until 9 a.m. Thursday.

Residents were advised to move vulnerable plants and pets indoors to protect them from the freezing temperatures, and to prevent any outdoor pipes from bursting by draining them.

Most of Northern California under severe weather advisories

Eureka, Redding, Chico and other communities in northern California were all under winter storm, winter weather watches or advisories Wednesday.

NWS said all of northwestern California expected hail and light to heavy snow from Tuesday night through Thursday.

Power outages across California amid strong winds

Close to 100,000 customers were without power in California Wednesday morning, according to PowerOutage.Us, as parts of the state contended with strong winds.

The Pacific Gas and Electric Company said Tuesday night it would mobilize personnel to prepare from outages resulting from poor weather conditions.

California power outage tracker:Over 110,000 customers without power as strong winds hit

US weather watches and warnings

Contributing: Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY

Southern California has only gotten a taste of the powerful winter storm system that forecasters say will bring an extended period of cold temperatures, high winds and snow, prompting what officials called the region’s first blizzard warning since 1989.

The blizzard warning, which is in effect Friday and Saturday for Southern California’s highest mountain ranges, is likely only the second on record for the Los Angeles area, according to the National Weather Service, Officials initially called this week’s warning the first on record, then later confirmed a blizzard warning was also issued in 1989, when a strong winter storm brought rare snowfall to Southern California, from Palm Springs to the hillsides of Malibu.

That 1989 snowfall has already drawn comparisons to what’s expected this week, said David Sweet, a meteorologist at the weather service’s Oxnard office.

“Between late Thursday and early Saturday, we’re looking at a storm delivering more snow than any other snow in recent decades,” Sweet said. “This is an unusual storm for the area.”

Officials are still trying to build an accurate forecast, but snow has already started to fall in the Antelope Valley and along the Grapevine, and forecasters are warning of the possibility of severe and dangerous conditions that could last through Sunday.

The event is expected to be “a snowmaker of the likes we have not seen for many years,” said Andrew Rorke, senior forecaster with the National Weather Service office in Oxnard.

Though the snow will be most concentrated in the mountains, Sweet said, heavy precipitation and winds will span the region, especially Saturday when the “cold core” of the storm will center on Los Angeles.

“It’s going to be a wild and woolly kind of day — the lightning, the thunder, the hail, the graupel,” he said, referring to a type of frozen crystal that can look like snowflakes. “No one is going to be spared.”

Here is what to expect.

The forecast

Warnings

Cold weather health alert

Safety tips

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A frigid winter storm barreled into California on Friday, bringing sea-level snow along the coast at Eureka and whiteout conditions in the Sierra as well as bursts of hail, snow and rain in Southern California that are expected to worsen considerably over the next two days.

Citing dangerous conditions, Caltrans closed Interstate 5 through the Grapevine early Friday. It is unclear how long the closure will last.

Cold temperatures brought snow, hail and graupel to unusually low elevations of the Southland, including at the Hollywood sign, slicking mountain roadways and spurring some school districts to cancel classes ahead of possible blizzard conditions.

Though the storm may be novel for Northern California, it has the potential to be historic in the southern part of the state, especially Friday and Saturday, UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said.

The “highly dynamic” system is likely to bring heavy rain, strong winds, thunderstorms and potential flooding to areas in and around Los Angeles, while snow levels could drop as low as 1,500 feet in the mountains of L.A. and Ventura counties. That’s the elevation of the Hollywood sign, where residents reported a wintry mix had landed Thursday afternoon.

A Blizzard Warning, the first issued by this office, is now in effect for the San Bernardino County Mountains from 4 AM Friday to 4 PM Saturday. Travel will be VERY DIFFICULT TO IMPOSSIBLE due to the extremely heavy snow and extremely high winds expected. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/MAq7kGVpDF

— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) February 23, 2023

“What is really kind of astonishing are the snow totals that are projected for the Southern California mountains and the southern Sierra Nevada,” Swain said.

Snowfall in some mountain areas could reach 3 or 4 feet over two days, with as much as 8 feet possible on certain mountain peaks.

The National Weather Service has issued rare blizzard warnings for the L.A., Ventura and San Bernardino county mountains beginning early Friday, warning of heavy snow, high winds and limited visibility. It’s only the second such warning on record for the mountains of L.A. and Ventura counties, and the first for San Bernardino County’s peaks. An evacuation warning was issued in portions of Ventura County until 10 a.m. Saturday, with officials warning of the potential for flooding and debris flows due to heavy rain and snow.

“This well may be the largest single-event snowfall in some parts of Southern California since the 1980s,” Swain said. “This is a big deal.”

Feb. 23, 2023

In the state’s northwesternmost corner, Del Norte County schools closed Thursday because of the unusual winter weather.

“This is the first snow day we have had in the 31 years I have been with the district,” said Assistant Supt. Jeff Napier.

To Del Norte’s south, overnight snow blanketed much of Humboldt County on Thursday morning, from sea level to mountaintops. Roughly 3 inches had fallen on the roads, parks and farms of Eureka, Ferndale and other low-lying communities, while a growing 2 to 3 feet covered the mountains.

All of Humboldt County’s snowplows were out shoveling, said Public Works Director Thomas Matson. “I’d say once every 10 years we get some snow at sea level,” he said. “Though this is the thickest I’ve seen it.”

Caroline Titus, the owner, publisher, editor and reporter at the Ferndale Enterprise in Humboldt County, said the snow had turned her coastal town into a winter scene.

“There’s lots of people building snowmen,” she said. “Everybody’s out and about and checking it out, taking photos. It’s very rare.”

Titus said she’d seen this kind of snow only once before, about 22 years ago.

“Maybe there was a light dusting in 2019,” she said. “But nothing like this.”

In the North Coast’s higher elevations, snow quickly became a challenge on many mountain passes, closing a large section of U.S. 101 from Humboldt to Del Norte County early Thursday, then a different section in Mendocino County later in the day, according to the California Department of Transportation.

Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties had fresh snowfall at notably low elevations, around 500 to 1,000 feet, Swain said, with reports of some flurries in the hills of the East Bay Area.

“There could be a couple of surprises tonight in the Bay Area or the Central Valley,” Swain said. “There might be a few places even below 500 feet that see certainly flakes in the air and maybe even a little bit of accumulation.”

But across the higher elevations, even just at or above 1,500 feet, Swain said snowfall could become heavy late Thursday, posing a risk for major roadways from the Sacramento Valley to the Santa Cruz Mountains and beyond.

In parts of Southern California, snow levels dropped to 1,500 feet Thursday, dusting the mountains and interior foothills, while higher elevations braced for hefty snow Friday through late Saturday.

Light snow was falling in Palmdale on Thursday morning, and roads were icy in the Inland Empire.

The wintry conditions were making a mess of traffic in the state, including a reported 20-car pileup in Yucaipa that sent eight people to the hospital and a crash along Highway 189 in Crestline that left more than a dozen drivers stranded in the snow. Caltrans maps showed dozens of major road closures Thursday evening, including both directions of the I-80 corridor near the Nevada border.

Whiteout conditions and spin-outs in the Truckee area shut down the interstate, said Chris Falkowski, a California Highway Patrol officer in the area. He couldn’t say when the highway would reopen.

“Whenever Mother Nature says we’re done,” Falkowski said. “If you don’t have to be up here, don’t bother. You’re just going to add to the problem.”

Forecasters also predicted gusty winds of up to 35 mph could generate 2- to 4-foot waves in the waters of Lake Tahoe into Friday. “That’s a significant amount of wind for a lake and producing those wave heights,” said Colin McKellar, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Reno.

About 12 to 18 inches of snow are expected to fall in South Lake Tahoe between Thursday and Saturday, he said. Snowfall is expected to pick up again Sunday afternoon until Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. “Right now, preliminary amounts are between 2 and 3 feet at lake level.”

Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia closed Thursday due to the weather, as did Mt. Baldy Resort.

Heather West, a waitress at the Mt. Baldy Lodge, which sits at a significantly lower elevation than the resort, said she expected to work through the storm if possible.

“I’ll be up here as long as [the California Highway Patrol] doesn’t close down the road,” she said. Her manager had discussed plans to bus staff to the lodge so they wouldn’t have to drive on treacherous roads.

Mt. Baldy ski lifts generally shut down only for high winds, West said. But having grown up frequenting the resort, she acknowledged, “you never know with this road.”

Snowfall totals of 2 to 5 feet are forecast for the mountains above 5,000 feet, and 6 to 18 inches at elevations of 3,500 to 4,500 feet, according to the weather service. Officials are warning about downed trees, power outages and dangerous mountain roads in the days ahead, as well as the potential for avalanches.

Despite the temptation to take advantage of the fresh powder in the mountains, Swain and other officials warned that it was best to stay home.

“This is not a weekend you’re going to be able to go up and ski — no one is going to be able to get in or out, potentially for days,” he said. “And so if you live up there, be prepared for a phenomenal amount of snow.”

The storm is also expected to deliver rainfall totals of 2 to 5 inches in Southern California’s coasts and valleys and up to 10 inches in the mountains through Saturday evening.

With the heavy rain, officials are warning of the threat of mudflows in wildfire burn scars. In Duarte, the L.A. County Department of Public Works issued a mudflow alert for the area of last summer’s Fish fire, closing a stretch of Mel Canyon Road.

A flood watch is also in effect in portions of Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties between Thursday night and Saturday, with peak rain rates of 0.75 of an inch per hour possible.

Times staff writers Terry Castleman, Dorany Pineda and Ruben Vives contributed to this report.

UCLA is surging, both toward the postseason and in the Associated Press men's college basketball poll.

While Houston was No. 1 for a third straight week in Monday's poll, the Bruins rose two spots to No. 2 for their highest ranking of the season. UCLA (27-4) has won its past 10 games, including a showdown with highly ranked Arizona in the regular-season finale behind star Jaime Jaquez Jr. to complete a perfect home record.

"I will say this, the recipe for success in March usually -- I mean, aside from talent -- is a great point guard and some senior leadership, like a guy like Jaime Jaquez," UCLA coach Mick Cronin said afterward. "I mean, we've got a chance. But as you know, that tournament's crazy. It isn't 'March Normal.'"

Kelvin Sampson's Cougars remained firmly entrenched at the top in their third stint at No. 1 this season, earning 58 first-place votes, with the other three going to UCLA.

Houston hadn't reached No. 1 before this season since 1983 during the Phi Slama Jama era, but the Cougars have now spent a total of seven weeks at the top to tie Purdue for the most of any team this season.

Houston (29-2) closed out its regular-season schedule by winning at Memphis on a last-second basket Sunday, marking its 11th straight win.

THE TOP TIER

The only change in the top five came with UCLA trading places with No. 4 Alabama, with Kansas remaining at No. 3 despite a loss at Texas in Saturday's regular-season finale and the Boilermakers staying at fifth.

Marquette stayed at No. 6, followed by the Longhorns climbing two spots to No. 7. Arizona, Gonzaga and Baylor rounded out the top 10.

RISING

Texas A&M is the week's biggest climber, leaping six spots to No. 18 after beating Alabama in its regular-season finale. That's part of a strong finish under fourth-year coach Buzz Williams, with the Aggies going 17-3 since mid-December and losing just once since the start of February. Before this season, Texas A&M hadn't been ranked since February 2018.

In all, eight teams climbed from last week's positions.

SLIDING

Tennessee took the week's biggest tumble, falling five spots to No. 17 after losing at Auburn in its regular-season finale and its first full game since losing Zakai Zeigler to a season-ending knee injury. Indiana was next, falling four spots to No. 19 after losing at home to Iowa by 22 points.

In all, six teams slid from their rankings last week.

STATUS QUO

Nearly one-third of last week's ranked teams (eight) stayed in their same positions, including No. 13 Virginia, No. 22 TCU and No. 23 Kentucky.

WELCOME BACK

The week's three additions are all returnees to the poll, headlined by No. 21 Duke.

The Blue Devils (23-8) returned to the poll for the first time since falling out in mid-January after opening the year at No. 7. First-year coach Jon Scheyer has led Duke to six straight wins to close out the regular season, including Saturday's win at North Carolina for a rivalry sweep that wounded UNC's iffy NCAA tournament hopes.

Creighton checked in at No. 24, returning after a one-week absence for a third stint in the poll this season. Next came 25th-ranked Missouri, which won its last four regular-season games to return to the poll after spending two weeks there in the first half of January.

FAREWELL (FOR NOW)

Providence (No. 20), Maryland (No. 21) and Pittsburgh (No. 25) dropped out this week. All three will be playing in their conference tournaments this week.

CONFERENCE WATCH

The Big 12 and SEC shared the lead this week with five ranked teams each, though three of the Big 12's group were inside the top 10.

The Big East was next with four ranked teams, including No. 11 UConn. The Atlantic Coast Conference had three, followed by the Big Ten, Pac-12 and West Coast conferences with two each.

The American Athletic and Mountain West conferences each had one ranked team.

ONE MORE

Next week's poll marks the final edition for the 2022-23 season.