Winter Storm Watch For Friday Night to Saturday Evening

A cold storm system out of Canada arriving Friday night could bring snow levels down into Banning and Beaumont on Saturday, with much heavier snowfall possible in the San Gorgonio and San Jacinto high country.

The approaching storm is colder than the system that moved through the Pass last week and over the weekend.

"For the Banning and Beaumont area, the first real rain will begin between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday," National Weather Service meteorologist Miguel Miller told Patch Thursday morning.

"By noon Saturday, with Beaumont at 2,600 feet, Banning at 2,500 feet and Cabazon at 2,200 feet, I'm confident those communities will see snow," Miller said. "Maybe a half-inch on the ground, maybe two or three inches."

The same light snowfall at lower elevations in the Pass could affect Interstate 10 on Saturday, Miller said.

The Weather Service issued a winter storm watch Thursday morning for the mountains on both sides of the San Gorgonio Pass from Friday night to Saturday evening.

Snow levels could come down as low as 2,000 feet Saturday and Saturday night, according to an urgent weather message issued at 4:17 a.m. Thursday. The most significant weather is possible above 3,500-foot elevations.

The heaviest snow is expect late Friday into Saturday morning in San Bernardino County and Riverside County mountains, according to the Weather Service.

Eight to 12 inches are possible above 3,500 feet and 10 inches to 2 feet of snow are possible above 5,500 feet. Some areas above 6,000 could get 2 feet to 3 feet of snow, according to the Weather Service.

Winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour are possible with gusts up to 45 mph. Visibility in the mountains could be near zero with heavy, blowing snow and fog, forecasters said.

The Weather Service warned that travelers in the mountains should be prepared for hazardous conditions. Motorists were urged to check the latest road reports before going into the mountains, and to carry chains, extra food, and warm clothing.

The approaching storm is colder than the most recent storm because it's coming out of Canada as opposed to the Gulf of Alaska, Miller said.

""It's a colder storm than the last one because it has colder air in it," Miller said. "The colder air in the storm means more snow is possible at lower elevations.

"It's coming out of Canada, and the landmass of the continent right now is much colder than the ocean."

Last weekend, a Redondo Beach man got lost during an attempt to climb San Jacinto Peak. Alpine-trained volunteers were called out Saturday night in "whiteout conditions," and found the high mountains blanketed by up to 2 feet of fresh-fallen snow.

Brian Carrico, 57, dug a snow cave to survive two nights in below-freezing conditions. Searchers located him Monday in the Willow Creek drainage near Wellman Divide.