The Latest: Southern California gets snow from latest storm
Posted February 21, 2019 12:12 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
LOS ANGELES — The Latest on California storms (all times local):
9:11 a.m.
Southern California mountains and desert areas are getting snow from the latest February storm.
Caltrans says snow has stopped traffic Thursday on State Route 62 in the Yucca Valley area northeast of Joshua Tree National Park.
Interstate 5 over Tejon Pass and Interstate 15 over Cajon Pass have remained open but with some slowing.
The National Weather Service says snow levels are around 2,500 feet (762 metres) in San Bernardino County, where up to 12 inches (30 centimetres) have fallen at resort levels around Big Bear Lake.
Snow levels are around 3,000 feet (914 metres) in San Diego County.
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7:40 a.m.
February storms have almost eliminated drought conditions from California.
The U.S. Drought Monitor said Thursday that just over 67 per cent of the state is totally free of any level of dryness.
Just under 30 per cent is classified as abnormally dry, and less than 4 per cent remains in either moderate or severe drought.
The drought conditions are confined to a far northern area along the California-Oregon border.
Three months ago, more than three-quarters of the state was in moderate to extreme drought and the remainder was abnormally dry.
Precipitation is continuing to fall Thursday as a cold but not very moist system impacts Southern California and showers linger on the Central Coast. Chances of rain return to Northern California during the weekend and early next week.
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This story has been corrected to show the abnormal dryness category is just under 30 per cent.
The Associated Press
