Winter storm brings snow, rain to Southern California

A cold winter storm continued to bring rain and snow to Southern California Monday, with weather experts and local officials advising commuters to watch out for hazardous driving conditions.

An area of ​​low pressure south of Point Conception threw some showers into the area, said David Sweet, a weather forecaster with the National Weather Service Office in Oxnard. About a quarter of an inch to three-quarters of an inch of rain had fallen, with more rain expected later in the day as the weather pattern moves south into Mexico.

The San Gabriel Mountains could get anywhere from a half inch to an inch of rain.

“This is a fairly dry system, so we don’t expect any flooding issues,” Sweet said.

With snow forecast at elevations of up to 2,500 feet, the storm will bring wintry driving conditions. The amount of cold air in the system lowers snow depth, Sweet said.

Snow was reported on the Grapevine early Monday, and the California Highway Patrol was Escort traffic through the Tejon Pass. Weather experts warned commuters to drive cautiously on mountain roads, including Freeway 5 near Tejon Pass, Freeway 14 near Acton and Highway 33 north of Ojai.

“Anyone going to places over 2,500 feet should prepare,” Sweet said.

According to the weather service, about 2 to 4 inches of snow had fallen at Mountain High.