Winter weather forces Yosemite to close; severe storms forecast in Oklahoma, Kansas: Weekend weather

Amanda Lee Myers and Claire Thornton, USA TODAY
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LOS ANGELES — A storm causing blizzard conditions, heavy rain and high winds kept pummeling California Saturday before continuing on to impact Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas by Sunday.

The National Weather Service warned of flooding risks in both San Diego and Los Angeles on Saturday. Blizzard warnings remained in effect in mountainous areas surrounding Los Angeles and the Sierra Nevada farther north.

Meanwhile, winter weather forced the closure of Yosemite National Park through Wednesday, the park announced on Saturday.

EXPLAINED: A blizzard in Southern California? What to know about weird weekend weather.

When the storm system reaches Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas, it'll be in the form of thunderstorms that carry the possibility of tornados, said Bob Larson, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather.

Those won't be the only regions affected by storms.

Here's what you need to know about this weekend's weather:

California closed major LA highway due to flooding

All lanes along several miles of Interstate 5 were closed Saturday in Los Angeles County near Glendale due to flooding.

Further north, a stretch of the interstate called the Grapevine was closed due to snow and icy road conditions, the transportation department said.

An electric pole and traffic light knocked over due to storms at an intersection in LA's Larchmont Village neighborhood. Some residents in the neighborhood were left without power for more than 12 hours Saturday, causing temperatures in their homes to drop into the 50s.
An electric pole and traffic light knocked over due to storms at an intersection in LA's Larchmont Village neighborhood. Some residents in the neighborhood were left without power for more than 12 hours Saturday, causing temperatures in their homes to drop into the 50s.

Crews were working Saturday to clear snow from major highways around LA that were closed. Highway 14 in Santa Clarita and State Route 2 north of LA were closed due to snow Saturday morning.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: Blizzard will unleash 'real danger' upon unhoused people

Southern California mountain gets more than 6 feet of snow

More than six feet of snow had fallen in recent days around Mountain High Ski Resort in the San Gabriel mountains northeast of Los Angeles by Saturday morning, the National Weather Service reported.

Other mountains in the area also received more than four feet of snow by Saturday, according to totals published by the weather service.

By Friday afternoon, snow had fallen as low as the Hollywood sign, mudslides and snow closed major highways and evacuation warnings were issued in parts of Ventura County.

A visitor stands on a snow-covered road while taking a selfie in the Angeles National Forest near La Canada Flintridge, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023.
A visitor stands on a snow-covered road while taking a selfie in the Angeles National Forest near La Canada Flintridge, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023.

Winter storm warnings across the West

  • Winter storm warnings are in effect Sunday for the Sierra Nevada in central California, and the Nevada cities of Round Mountain and Tonopah.

  • A winter storm watch is in effect in Portland, Oregon starting Saturday evening and lasting until Sunday morning, with accumulations between 1 and 6 inches possible.

  • Snow is also expected throughout Colorado, with accumulations up to 3 inches and winds as high as 20 mph in Telluride.

Severe thunderstorms will span about a dozen central US states early next week

The storm system hitting California this weekend will spread east across the central U.S. Sunday, impacting 11 states, AccuWeather reported Saturday.

The storm is set to center around Oklahoma, Kansas and northern Texas on Sunday, bringing hail, damaging winds and the risk of tornadoes.

By Sunday afternoon, the storm will gather strength and continue pushing east toward Missouri and Iowa, AccuWeather forecasters say.

Severe thunderstorms are predicted across the area, with strong winds gusting up to 75 mph. The region will face the added risk of nighttime tornadoes Sunday, AccuWeather said.

The storm will continue moving eastward Monday, bringing rain and the risk of flash flooding to Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana, AccuWeather reported.

Winter storm map

The Northeast

Some weak winter storms carry the chance of some light snow for parts of the Northeast this weekend, Larson said.

One storm pushed into New England on Saturday, bringing areas of steady light snow and flurries, according to AccuWeather forecasts.

Cities including New York and Philadelphia could see up to an inch of snow, which is only remarkable because they haven't seen much of the white stuff this year, Larson said.

A second storm affecting New England on Sunday may bring a few inches to Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

The Midwest

People in most of the Midwest can expect a fairly pleasant weekend, with highs forecast to approach the 50s all weekend in Cleveland and Des Moines.

It'll be colder in the usual places like St. Paul, Minnesota, Detroit and Chicago. Highs are expected to range between the 20s and low 40s, but the sun should peek out in those cities and parts in between throughout the weekend.

US weather watches and warnings

National weather radar

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winter storm closes Yosemite; thunderstorms forecast in central US

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