California storms ‘a matter of life and death’ for homeless, LA mayor warns, as winds and rain lash region

The storm drove low temperatures to near records in some portions of California and even stirred up a weak tornado near Los Angeles

Winter weather pounded much of California on Friday and Saturday, and more is on the way, prompting concerns for the unhoused population in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles County responded to the storm by issuing its first blizzard warning since 4 February 1989.

The city of Los Angeles saw heavy winds, rain, and hail on Friday and Saturday. The mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, advised city residents to help individuals without permanent shelter find lodgings for the duration of the storm.

"This storm is a matter of life or death for many of our unhoused neighbors," she wrote on Twitter. "If you know someone who is unhoused or if you see tents near you — help them find shelter. We can all play a role in helping Angelenos come inside."

Strong winds, snow, heavy rains, and flooding will continue to be a concern throughout the west over the weekend as the storm travels inland.

A homeless person’s tent is seen under a roadway overpass as water rushes down the Los Angeles River channel near Griffith Park (AFP via Getty Images)

Flooding in Southern California resulted in numerous water rescues on Friday and early Saturday, according to the New York Times. At least one person was injured in Santa Barbara County when a tree was toppled onto a home. Another individual in Los Angeles was found dead following the storms, but authorities have not determined if the weather contributed to that death.

Winds upwards of 65mph ripped through Los Angeles, even stirring up a weak EF-0 tornado for a short time, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The Grapevine portion of Interstate 5 in California was shut down on early Saturday due to snow obstruction throughout the valley, according to the California State Highway Patrol.

San Francisco also recorded near-record lows over during the storm. Temperatures fell to 41 degrees (5 C) overnight between Friday and Saturday. The record low is 38 degrees (3 C).

A worker uses a broom to sweep rain water from a shop along the Venice Beach Boardwalk (REUTERS)

More than a foot of snow fell in California's wine country. A snowboarder took advantage of the rare snowfall and carved a route alongside grapevines at CADE vineyard in Napa Valley.

The National Weather Service in Las Vegas also advised on early Saturday that travelers in eastern California, southern Nevada, and western Arizona should be on alert for road closures.

The Hollywood sign is seen through a mix of fog and dust snow during a rare cold winter storm (REUTERS)

"A powerful winter storm will impact areas of the southern Great Basin and Mojave Desert through Sunday. Significant travel impacts expected with snow, wind, and rain," the National Weather Service said in a tweet. "Check road conditions before departing, dial 511 in your state."

The storm left more than 100,000 power customers in the dark as it rolled through California.

Cars are seen covered in snow at Pacific Union College in Angwin, California (Getty Images)

A separate storm earlier in the week left a million power customers without power throughout the northeast and north central portions of the US. Many power customers in Michigan are still waiting for their power to be restored.

The storm in California is currently moving east over the Sierra Nevada mountains, where it is expected to dump more snow over the mountain peaks before it flattens out over the Great Basin.