Stormy California Sees Accidents, Snow And Much More

California is getting a taste of what winter is going to look like. According to a series of news reports, the first winter-like storm to hit California brought rain and snow to areas that are not that used to seeing either.

In the San Joaquin Valley area, the rain also caused an accident involving 20 vehicles. Reports show that the major collision happened on the southbound lanes of State Route 99 on Monday. The accident happened just a few miles south of Bakersfield.

According to the California Highway Patrol reports on this accident, the collision caused the a traffic backup that went on for three miles.

At least five people involved in the accident were sent to the hospital with minor injuries. No serious injuries were reported.

The cold rain also dropped half-inch of water in the San Francisco area while other Bay Area cities were exposed to an inch of rain. Residents reported power outages. According to the authorities, many other traffic accidents occurred in the region as a result of the weather and road conditions.

In Livermore, at least two roads were closed because of mudslides.

The area of Reno and Lake Tahoe in Nevada also experienced power outages because of the storm.

To Californians going up mountain highways, chains or snow tires were a requirement. On Monday, the highways surrounding Lake Tahoe on the California-Nevada border saw some snow while the Kirkwood Mountain resort in California also saw at least one foot of snow.

The authorities warned residents near California’s mountains that heavy snow and storms were to be expected. Some areas near Sierra Nevada saw about 5 inches of snow due to the storm.

To experts, the fact Sierra is seeing some snow this season is a good thing. To drought-stricken California, winter is when the reservoirs are fed. In areas that were hit hard by the wildfires earlier this year, the threat of flash floods and mudslides should not be ignored. Residents in areas such as Yolo, Colusa, and Lake counties were warned about the risks since debris are often unleashed from burn areas under heavy rains.

Authorities indicated that another accident involving a big rig was reportedly linked to the storm. The rig was carrying 80,000 pounds of frozen chickens when it overturned. The accident happened on the westbound lanes of Highway 580 in the Livermore area. Nobody was injured in the crash.

Californians everywhere are urged to stay vigilant when the storms hit the state. Because of El Niño, experts believe this could be one of the most aggressive winters Californians have experienced in their lives.

For more on the latest storm, follow this link.