Chan's Personal Blog

California is bracing for a series of powerful winter storms poised to deliver a one-two-three punch to the West Coast, bringing snow, rain and high wind throughout the Golden State, forecasters said. The effects of the storms were already being felt Thursday.

But the National Weather Service warned a second and more powerful storm front was expected to move in Friday, and a third wave was forecast for the weekend.

Up to 4 feet of snow is possible at elevations above 5,000 feet by Saturday morning and wind gusts of up to 80 mph are possible in the region Friday, the weather service said. [...]

In addition, up to 10 inches of precipitation was forecast for other parts of the state -- rain at the lower elevations and snow in the mountains. Forecasters warned it could be the most significant rainfall Southern California has seen since January 2005. Flash-flood watches were in effect around Los Angeles, and the possibility of mudslides loomed for hillsides scorched bare by wildfires last year.

Authorities advised homeowners in those areas to have plenty of sandbags on hand and watch for signs of flooding, The Associated Press reported.

The mission to prepare for the storms was already under way, with members of the Orange County Conservation Corps placing gravel-filled bags along an area burned last fall, according to the AP.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered the state Office of Emergency Services to prepare for the bad weather.

"The state is expecting a powerful series of storms that could produce blizzard conditions in the higher elevations of the Sierra, with wind gusts of more than 100 mph and 8 to 10 feet of snow forecast at above 7,000 feet," a news release from Schwarzenegger's office said.