Season’s first major storm is a wet blanket

Snow blanketed parts of the Sierra Nevada on Monday as the first major storm of the season moved across California’s drought-stricken mountains and valleys, bringing rain and colder temperatures.

At Kirkwood Mountain, just south of Lake Tahoe, about 11 inches of snow had accumulated by afternoon, according to the ski resort. In Donner Pass, northwest of Lake Tahoe, about 5 inches of snow fell, National Weather Service meteorologist Travis Wilson said.

Areas below 7,000 feet saw scant powder but heavy rain, with more than 2 inches falling in parts of the Central Valley. Downtown San Francisco saw a half-inch of rain, while other parts of the Bay Area reported between 1/2 to 11/2 inches.

A band of thunderstorms triggered flash-flood warnings for recent wildfire burn areas, where the risk of debris flows is especially high.

As of 8 p.m., the warnings were called off with no reports of damage. But thunderstorms and rain knocked out power to scattered clusters of customers, including more than 300 in Chico who lost electricity because of lightning storms, according to Pacific Gas & Electric.

“It brought more rain than expected in the Central Valley, but it pretty much shaped up as we expected,” Wilson said. “It’s a good first storm of the season, but we need many more like this.”

The small relief from the state’s ongoing drought came with the usual roadway delays and accidents, including a 20-vehicle crash just south of Bakersfield.

The collision occurred shortly after noon along southbound California 99. Six people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries and several others were injured but did not require hospitalization, said California Highway Patrol Officer Scott Jobinger.

Investigators believe the crash was caused by low visibility brought by the storm, he said.

Some motorists reported mud flowing across northbound Interstate 5 near the Tejon Pass, but all lanes remained open. It was far less mud than the October deluge that trapped nearly 200 vehicles in up to 20 feet of mud along California 58 near Tehachapi.

In Southern California, the first relatively cold storm system of the season brought showers and gusty winds.

Light rain fell in Van Nuys, Lancaster, Palmdale and Burbank, but totals for the coasts and valleys were expected to be below a quarter-inch.

By Monday night, just over a tenth of an inch had fallen in Pasadena.

Colder temperatures are expected to persist through the first half of the week, said Robbie Munroe, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

The below-average temperatures will continue Tuesday, with highs in the 30s and 40s across higher terrain in the L.A. County mountains, and in the upper 60s to about 70 for the coastal and valley areas.

Meanwhile, the Southland could see scattered rainfall through Wednesday. Up to 3 inches of snow could fall in southwestern mountains at elevations above 5,500 feet.

The sudden arrival of snow and rain is the result of a cold Pacific storm system moving through the state, said Eric Kurth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

Snow is good news for the Sierra Nevada, where officials said levels hit a record low this year. Snow there provides one-third of California’s water supply.

“It’s certainly good to see the snow falling,” Kurth said.

But the snow may not stick around very long. Some of it is likely to melt by the end of the week, when temperatures are expected to climb.

Times staff writer Brittny Mejia contributed to this report.

For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA.

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