California storm wreaks havoc as snow hits LA

Mass powerfulness outages, flooding and the closures of some motorways and beaches are reported successful California arsenic a uncommon wintertime tempest sweeps the US state.

More than 120,00 radical - galore of them successful the Los Angeles country - are without energy aft days of fierce winds.

The main north-south motorway connected the West Coast, Interstate 5, remains unopen successful the mountainous conception known arsenic the Grapevine.

The storm, which is owed to weaken, is 1 of the strongest to deed the state.

Relentless winds person toppled trees and downed powerfulness lines.

On Saturday, each beaches were closed for respective hours owed to lightning strikes successful LA County, the authorities said.

There were besides reports of flights grounded successful the region.

In its latest bulletin conscionable aft 20:00 GMT connected Saturday (12:00 section time), the National Weather Service (NWS) warned of dense rains and thunderstorms implicit Southern California.

"As the beforehand moves inland, snowfall volition determination implicit the Northern Intermountain Region and into Northern California connected Sunday morning," the NWS said.

So acold determination person been nary reports of immoderate storm-related deaths oregon injuries.

Earlier this week, snowflakes were seen falling successful Los Angeles, a metropolis famed for its thenar trees and sun-kissed boulevards.

Local residents were seen marvelling astatine the unfamiliar show of a snowfall flurry astir the Hollywood motion connected Mount Lee. 

And San Francisco broke a 132-year grounds debased somesthesia for 24 February, dipping to 39F (4C) connected Friday morning.