Jan Wesner Childs and Eric Zerkel
A historic winter storm continued to pound California Friday with feet of snow, blizzard conditions and snow falling in lower elevations than usual.
The weather stranded motorists, shut down interstates and left more than 120,000 power outages in its wake.
The storm, which has been named Winter Storm Piper by The Weather Channel, also packs a significant flood threat in coastal areas.
See the full forecast for Piper here.
Here are our updates from Friday.
(4:03 p.m. ET) Snow Coats Napa Vineyards
Video posted to social media showed snow falling in Napa's iconic vineyards.
"Not something we see everyday ... snow in Napa Valley!" read the post from Cultivar Wine.
(3:42 p.m. ET) Piper Brings Snow, Wind And Even A Possible Tornado To California
Some notable stats from the storm so far, compiled by weather.com digital meteorologist Jonathan Belles:
-45 inches of snow at Soda Springs.
-About three feet of snow in Mount Shasta.
-Wind gusts up to 86 mph at Magic Mountain.
-A possible tornado yesterday morning in the Los Angeles County community of Whittier. Later in the day, a blizzard warning was issued at the opposite end of the county.
(2:05 p.m. ET) The Best Images From Winter Storm Piper
Click here or tap through our slideshow below to see the latest winter weather photos from California and the Pacific Northwest.
(1:53 p.m. ET) Mountain Of Snow In Sierras
UC-Berkeley's Sierra Snow Lab has received 45 inches of snow over the past three days.
"We're expecting another 7-14 (inches) today before a break in the snow tomorrow and then plenty more starting Sunday!" the lab tweeted.
(11:17 a.m.) California Grapevine Remains Closed
Crews are working to clear ice and snow from the section of Interstate 5 between Bakersfield and Los Angeles known as the Grapevine, according to the California Highway Patrol. There is no estimated reopening time.
(11:09 a.m. ET) Hundreds Of Thousands Without Power
More than 128,000 power outages are being reported in California, according to PowerOutage.us. The highest concentration is in the northern part of the state including Humboldt, Butte, Mendocino, Lake, Tehama, Shasta and Napa counties.
Each power outage represents a utility customer account, which may include multiple people in a household or building.
(10:59 a.m. ET) LA County Parks Closes Some Sites
All Los Angeles County trails are closed today and Saturday due to the weather. Several other recreation areas including parks, lakes and nature centers are also closed.
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.(10:49 a.m. ET) Tree Falls On Apartment Complex
A large tree fell on an apartment complex in San Luis Obispo, according to KSBY-TV. A wind advisory is in effect there until 4 p.m. local time. The area is also under a flood advisory.
(7:45 a.m. ET) 'Wow Factor' Serious Snow In San Jose Foothills
This storm continues to produce snow at lower elevations than usual. This video shows serious accumulation in Santa Clara County just to the southwest of San Jose in the foothills, something weather.com senior meteorologist Jon Erdman said has a serious "wow factor."
(7:05 a.m. ET) Drivers Stranded On Interstate 80, Road Closed
Many drivers trying to beat the storm to reach Tahoe were stuck on a stretch of I-80 from Colfax, California, to the Nevada state line for hours when conditions deteriorated late Thursday.
The stretch of road runs through the Sierra Nevada Mountains on its way to Lake Tahoe and can close during winter storms, but the storm caused issues at lower elevations than usual.
Drivers were forced to turn around in both directions when the road was eventually closed.
It was a similar story on Highway 50, where traffic was held due to crashes and bad conditions. Eventually, traffic was allowed to proceed.
Interstate 5 Closed In Two Parts Of California
Stretches of Interstate 5 hundreds of miles away from each other are closed due to wintry conditions.
One stretch of I-5 is closed between Los Angeles and Bakersfield, California, through the mountains.
The other is in Northern California, 10 miles north of Redding near Fawndale, California. There's no estimate on when the stretches of roadway will reopen.
Snow Or Graupel Dust Hollywood Sign
A light dusting of either snow or graupel was seen on the iconic Hollywood sign above the hills of Los Angeles.
The National Weather Service said the precipitation came down around 9:15 a.m. local time Thursday.
Here's a handy link if you're interested in learning more about what graupel is.
Hail Hits Southern California
The storm isn't just producing winter weather. Social media lit up across Southern California with reports of hail Thursday.
Senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman explained how this was all possible in the middle of a winter storm.
"Despite temperatures near the ground being chilly, air several thousand feet above the ground was exceptionally cold," Erdman said. "That difference in temperature created the instability needed to generate showers and thundershowers, some of which contained hail."
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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