Hail, Snow, Even Waterspouts : Storm Kicks Up Its Heels in Southland

Hail pelted the Los Angeles basin from San Pedro to Pacoima, snow fell in the northwest San Fernando Valley, and waterspouts were reported off the Palos Verdes Peninsula on Tuesday as a cold Alaskan storm moved through Southern California.

The National Weather Service blamed the bad weather on an upper-level area of low pressure associated with an unstable mass of cold air that knocked overnight temperatures to near-freezing in many parts of the basin.

Forecasters said the storm should be gone by today, leaving skies clear--and temperatures cold. But it made things lively for awhile:

The Coast Guard warned small boat operators to head for shore after three waterspouts were spotted in the afternoon off Redondo Beach and Palos Verdes, and hailstones the size of small peas briefly whitened lawns on a spotty pattern beginning along the coast and rolling slowly inland toward the mountains.

Parts of Van Nuys reported as much as 1.5 inches of hail during the late afternoon. The ice pellets lasted only a minute or two on the ground. But just after sunset, snow began to fall in the same area.

The snow fell for about an hour on a broad front from Simi Valley to Van Nuys. It also quickly melted, but its brief presence was enough to give a treat to many youngsters who had never seen such a phenomenon, outside television--and to a few grown-ups who took part in a brief snowball battle outside a bar in the 16800 block of Saticoy Street in Van Nuys.

“It started hailing and thunder and lightning and everybody went out to look,” said bartender Bonnie Cameron. “White, everything white. We threw some snowballs. . . . “

“We had a few snowballs thrown at our units out in Chatsworth and a few swerving cars but nothing major,” said Sgt. Fred Rembold of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Devonshire Division. “For the most part, everybody’s just enjoying it.”

The California Highway Patrol required chains or snow tires on all motor vehicles heading for Cajon Pass on Interstate 15 and on the stretch of Interstate 5 near Gorman, and more than an inch of snow was reported--with more falling--near Banning and Beaumont.

A travelers’ advisory for snow above 2,500 feet was issued for the Southland mountains, and the Mt. Baldy Road in the San Gabriel range was closed to all but residents near Mt. Baldy Village due to snow, ice and the drifting fog that plagued most mountain areas.

Snow in Antelope Valley

Snow also fell during the early evening in most parts of the Antelope Valley, where a winter storm warning was in effect.

The Department of Water and Power and Southern California Edison Co. reported minor power outages due to a flurry of thunder and lightning stretching from Central Los Angeles to the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys. A 17-minute blackout at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena interrupted a basketball game between the Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks.

High temperature Tuesday at Los Angeles Civic Center was 57 degrees, with relative humidity ranging from 41% to 71%. Forecasters said it should be a degree or so cooler today, after an overnight low in the upper 30s or low 40s.