Storm Dumps Snow and Hail on Region; More Is on the Way : Weather: Palmdale reports two inches of snowfall blanketing the ground. But rainfall in the L.A. basin is light.

Snow, hail and sleet fell in the foothills, high deserts and mountains of Southern California on Friday as a cold front moved through, spawning showers and thunderstorms, dropping highs into the low 50s and generating cool, breezy weather.

The system, on a storm track out of the Gulf of Alaska, was expected to move out of the area today, leaving mostly sunny skies and warmer weather, with high temperatures generally in the 60s.

But another storm is expected to arrive this weekend.

Meteorologist Steve Burback of WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times, said the new cold front is expected to hit Northern California today and Central California on Sunday and arrive in Southern California Sunday night or Monday.

Residents in the Antelope Valley awoke Friday morning to find snow on the ground. Palmdale reported that about two inches had accumulated during the night. The snow resumed at midafternoon Friday, then tapered off.

Snow on the mountains was visible from downtown Los Angeles.

Two inches of snow fell on the mountains in the Frazier Park district of the Los Padres National Forest, while farther north about 10 inches blanketed Mt. Pinos. Big Bear Lake recorded at least six inches overnight.

Blowing snow created blizzard conditions on the Grapevine section of Interstate 5 early Friday, forcing the closure of a 30-mile stretch of the highway in both directions for several hours.

Motorists traveling Interstate 15, the main route to Las Vegas, were required to install chains to cross the Cajon Pass, northwest of San Bernardino. The California Highway Patrol also escorted convoys over the 4,260-foot pass.

Generally, rainfall amounts in the Los Angeles Basin were light, with 0.14 of an inch recorded in Pasadena, 0.04 in Riverside, 0.11 in San Juan Capistrano, 0.09 in San Bernardino, 0.08 in Santa Barbara, 0.12 in San Diego and a trace in Long Beach, Monrovia, Newhall, Santa Monica and Woodland Hills.

Deep in the Mojave Desert, Needles Airport reported half an inch of hail.

Lifeguards at San Diego’s Ocean Beach reported spotting a funnel cloud three to five miles offshore.

The National Weather Service reported Friday that a total of 5.37 inches of rain has been recorded at the Civic Center this season, less than half of the 12.34 inches that is normal for the date.

Friday’s high temperature at the Civic Center was a chilly 54 degrees. The relative humidity ranged from a maximum of 76% to a low of 35%.