KERN COUNTY, Calif. (KERO) — The first of two storms hitting California will bring strong winds for Kern Tuesday afternoon. By Wednesday, rain and snow will pick up throughout the Valley and our mountain communities.
Winds will pick up Tuesday afternoon, and by Tuesday night gusts over 40 miles per hour will be possible in the Valley, and over 70 miles per hour in wind-prone parts of the desert.
By Tuesday evening, Valley residents will wake up to some light showers. Mountain areas will see flurries pick up Tuesday night with heavier snowfall starting Wednesday morning. Snow starting to fall in the Sierra Nevada and the foothills will be above 1,000 feet as the snow level will decrease through the evening to 1,000 feet.
A second trough will slide down the California coast through late Thursday night into Saturday bringing even more snow and rain to the area. This second trough will bring in more rain but also more snow which will be more concentrated to the southern half of the Sierra Nevada and the Kern County mountains.
That means major travel impacts are possible for the Wednesday morning commute, including closures on both I-5 and highway 58. As rain and snow continue off and on through Wednesday night and into Thursday, more travel impacts are possible.
