‘Out-of-Season’ Storm Catches Some by Surprise : Weather: Front drops snow in local mountains and causes minor accidents. The county has received three times the average June rainfall in the past two days.

A jet stream carrying cold weather south from Alaska dropped snow on nearby mountains, snarled traffic in Ventura County and forced residents to briefly unpack their winter clothes five days before the official start of summer.

By Sunday, the last of the storm should release its grip on the county as the skies clear and temperatures climb back to normal, meteorologists forecast.

“We experienced a very much out-of-season Gulf of Alaska storm,” National Weather Service meteorologist Clay Morgan said. “It was really bizarre for this time of year.”

More than a foot of snow dropped in the High Sierra and Fresno reported hail. But only about a third of an inch of rain fell on Ventura County.

Still, he said the county received three times the average monthly rainfall for June in just the past two days. The storm originated over the Gulf of Alaska and accounted for the cold temperatures that brought snow to the 4,500-foot level in the local mountains.

Temperatures dropped to the low 50s throughout the county Friday, Morgan said. The storm “hopped a ride” in a southerly blowing jet stream along the West Coast that dumped the cold front over the lower half of California, Morgan said.

“The jet just happened to be over the area,” he said.

The inclement weather the past two days forced some high school graduation ceremonies indoors while other graduates endured soggy ceremonies on muddy football fields.

Meanwhile, area freeways were choked by heavy traffic as two dozen minor accidents occurred throughout the county.

About 11 a.m. Friday, authorities closed the westbound lanes of California 126 near Piru after a big rig turned over and caused several other minor accidents. The road was reopened about 2:30 p.m. and no injuries were reported, the California Highway Patrol said.

“There were about three times as many accidents [Friday] than usual,” a CHP dispatcher said.

“Other than the traffic accidents, we haven’t had any rain-related calls,” said Pam Sears, a spokeswoman for the Ventura County Fire Department. “There has been no flooding, no roofs coming in and no landslides.”

Sears said the tenuous hillside lurking above the beach community of La Conchita held firm through the minor storm. “Thank God,” she added.

A landslide in March after heavy rains destroyed nine residences and damaged about a dozen more. Firefighters and other rescue personnel spent a soggy week in March camped out in the community waiting for more of the hill to slide.

Caltrans reported business as usual as did officials with Ventura County Flood Control. But starting this afternoon, Morgan said the winter-like conditions will be replaced with sunny skies. By Sunday, he said the temperatures should reach the mid-70s.

“Things should get back to normal,” he said.

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County Rainfall Here are rainfall figures from the Ventura County Flood Control Department for the 24-hour period ending at 5 p.m. Friday. Oct. 1 is the beginning of the official rain year.

Rainfall Rainfall Normal rainfall Location last 24 hours since Oct. 1 to date Camarillo 0.00 24.41 12.87 Casitas Dam 0.35 49.64 22.89 El Rio 0.04 29.71 14.71 Fillmore 0.31 34.16 18.26 Moorpark 0.20 26.90 14.41 Ojai 0.35 42.68 21.00 Upper Ojai 0.47 50.67 23.13 Oxnard 0.00 28.25 14.21 Piru 0.12 31.98 16.88 Santa Paula 0.16 34.90 17.06 Simi Valley 0.16 28.39 14.10 Thousand Oaks 0.00 29.08 15.06 Ventura Govt. Center 0.16 32.53 14.07