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 The system was expected to head east and reach the opposite coast
by the middle of next week, but not before hitting the Southwest
again with rain, snow and wind, forecasters said.
Parts of northern New Mexico have already received a dusting of
snow, but forecasters say the latest storm to bear down on the state
is far from over. The National Weather Service in Albuquerque said
the brunt of the storm is expected to cross into New Mexico on
Saturday, bringing widespread snow through the rest of the weekend,
frigid temps and gusty winds.
The fierce weather was linked to three deaths in California.
Officials and news reports said the death of a person Thursday near
downed power lines and a tree was being investigated in Oakland,
another person died in Oakland after the man crashed into a fallen
tree while apparently trying to avoid debris, and a 52-year-old
woman died in Yuba County when a tree fell on the parked car in
which she was sitting.
Firefighters in Tucson, Ariz., Friday recovered the body of a man
who was swept away by high water in the Santa Cruz River.
Forecasters said parts of both California and Arizona can also
expect more severe weather, with winter storm warnings through
midday Saturday in the mountains and the Antelope Valley foothills
northeast of Los Angeles. However, there's only a small chance of
rainstorms like those which prompted flooding in California on
Thursday.
A homeless man had to be rescued from a tree by helicopter and four
others were plucked from an island after becoming trapped in the
swollen Santa Ana River in California's San Bernardino County.
In northern Utah, transportation officials warned truck drivers of
potential trailer-toppling gusts. No accidents had been reported,
but big rigs pulled off to the side of the freeways to wait out the
winds Friday morning, Utah Highway Patrol officials told The Salt
Lake Tribune.
Snow in higher elevations in rural eastern Nevada's Lincoln County
stranded 50 to 60 cars early Friday, dispatcher Shannon Miller said.
No injuries were reported, but U.S. 93 was closed south of Ely.
Sheriff's dispatch said early Saturday that the roadway had been
reopened, but the office did not have any information on the
stranded cars.
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Snow in New Mexico and Arizona prompted some schools to delay
opening Friday. Interstate 25 and roads throughout northern New
Mexico were icy and packed with snow.
A flood watch was in effect until early Saturday in the Phoenix
area, where several miles of the Loop 303 freeway in the western
suburbs were closed due to flooding. The weather service said rain
totals through Saturday morning could exceed 2 inches in the Phoenix
area.
The wet conditions prompted the Arizona Interscholastic Association
to push back high school football semifinal games set for Friday and
Saturday. Officials rescheduled the games to Monday "due to the
weather conditions, field conditions and safety of the players and
fans attending the games."
Authorities, meanwhile, responded to hundreds of crashes as the
storm dropped rain over desert dwellers.
At least one business in thirsty southern Nevada was rejoicing over
the storm system. Officials at the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard
Resort north of Sin City measured 11 1/2 inches of snow at midday
Friday, with a week to spare until opening day.
[Associated
Press]
Contributing to this
report were Associated Press writers Sudhin Thanawala in San
Francisco, Paul Davenport in Phoenix, and Susan Montoya Bryan in
Albuquerque.
Copyright 2013 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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