Countywide : Odd Weather Brings High Winds, Snow

A strange brew of weather descended on Ventura County before dusk Friday, threatening motorists and boaters with high winds, snow flurries, dust storms and swirling fog, authorities said.

Gusty winds of up to 40 m.p.h. were reported along California 33, 118 and 126, and light snow was reported in the Pine Mountain area near Lockwood Valley, the Highway Patrol said.

High winds knocked down several power lines and trees and threatened several light aircraft attempting to land at Camarillo and Oxnard airports, a County Fire Department spokesman said. No injuries were reported.

About 200 Ojai residents went without power for nearly three hours after winds blew a tree branch into a power line, said Southern California Edison area manager Mark Olsen. The U.S. Coast Guard issued a gale warning Friday evening for the open sea, reporting winds over 45 m.p.h. and eight- to 10-foot swells, said Petty Officer Rick Peterson. The warning will be in effect through Sunday, he said.

The conditions were created by two systems clashing over the eastern part of the state, said Steve Burback of Weather Data Inc., which provides weather information for The Times. “The unusual situation is being caused by a deep, intense low-pressure system out of southern Nevada combining with the large cold front that is sweeping through California,� Burback said.

Burback said the winds will continue through the weekend, with the heaviest gusts before sunrise today and then diminishing by Sunday. The forecast for today and Sunday is clear with highs in the 60s to mid-70s and lows in the 30s to mid-40s, he said.