Thousands without power amid California winter storms

Nearly 85,000 households and businesses were without power in the Los Angeles area on Saturday, as unusual winter storms continue to sweep parts of California with rain, snow and biting cold temperatures. The state transport agency said heavy snow forced the steep grade of Interstate 5 known as the Grapevine to be closed. The I-5 is the largest highway leading north out of the city. Several more southern points of the freeway in and around Los Angeles were also closed due to flooding. In northern California, San Francisco braced for record cold temperatures on Saturday, while the National Weather Service warned residents of state capital Sacramento to avoid travel from Sunday through Wednesday as rain and snow started up again after a reprieve on Saturday. On Twitter, the agency said, quote, extreme impacts from heavy snow and winds will cause extremely dangerous to impossible driving conditions and likely widespread road closures and infrastructure impacts. The next set of storms expected to hit on Sunday will bring wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour in the Sacramento Valley and up to 70 miles per hour in the nearby Sierra Nevada Mountains.

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