Great for Skiiers, Bad for Motorists


Southern California was hit yesterday with an unusually strong arctic blast. Because this, our fair city and the surrounding areas are as prepared for a meteor strike as they are for the slightest fluffly snowfall, you can imagine what an "arctic blast" will do. Two-wheel SUV and hybrid vehicle-traffic came to a screeching halt as snow and ice blanketed roads, forcing the closure of several of SoCal's busiest freeways, including I-15, I-5 and Highway 14.


The storm's combination of frigid air, powerful winds and heavy precipitation dropped the snow level to an unusually low 2,000 feet, with at least 20 inches of snow in Wrightwood, 5 inches in the hills above Malibu and 6 inches or more in Palmdale, where all major routes from Los Angeles were blocked. - L.A. Times