Southern California, which is typically warm, is currently experiencing its first blizzard warning since 1989.
Up to 8 feet (2 point 4 meters) of record snowfall are expected in the mountains to the east of Los Angeles by Saturday, according to forecasters.
Major blizzards and temperatures below freezing have already hit large portions of the northern US due to a powerful storm.
The cold snap occurs as the US southeast basks in a heat wave that sets records.
The entire US West Coast is affected by the icy weather front, as is British Columbia in Canada.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the coastal mountains of Ventura County and Los Angeles County are under a winter storm warning from early Friday until Saturday.
In the mountains surrounding Santa Barbara, snowfall of up to 5 feet is also possible.
High winds and "near zero visibility" will accompany the heavy snow, according to the NWS.
This week, a perplexed California meteorologist told viewers, "I have to be totally honest with you guys.". I have never seen a blizzard warning, in fact. ".
The southern Sierra Nevada mountains in the state's center and west are expected to receive "multiple rounds" of snow.
Due to the bizarre weather on Thursday, schools in the far northwest of the state were closed.
According to Jeff Napier, a representative of the Del Norte County Schools District, "this is the first snow day we have had in the 31 years I have been with the district.".
As the storm moves south over the weekend, lower elevation areas of southern California could see snow in addition to rain.
As low as 1,500 feet, or roughly the height of the famous sign in the Hollywood Hills, could be reached by the snow line. .
The cold snap in other parts of the US has forced the closure of state legislatures, businesses, and schools.
According to the NWS, Portland, Oregon, experienced its second snowiest day ever on Thursday morning after receiving close to 11 inches (28 cm) of snow overnight.
A volunteer firefighter in Michigan died as a result of the storm after they allegedly came into contact with a downed power line.
Officials in Oregon are also looking into a possible storm-related connection for a death from hypothermia.
A one-year-old child is in critical condition in the hospital after a massive redwood tree in California's Bay Area was uprooted by strong winds and crashed into a house.
On Thursday night, there were hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without electricity across five states, including 750,000 in Michigan.
According to FlightAware data, over 8,000 US flights were canceled or delayed on Thursday.
Washington DC experienced its warmest February day on Thursday when it reached 81 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius).
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