Snow in Los Angeles
Last weekend, there were blizzard, wind, and flood warnings for millions of people in California.
For the first time in 132 years, San Francisco set a record-low temperature of 4°C last Friday.
The main highway on the west coast of the US, Interstate 5, was closed in some parts because of the storms.
Los Angeles, a city that is famous for warm, sunny weather and palm trees had its first blizzard warning in more than three decades.
Some people in the city enjoyed seeing snow around the famous Hollywood sign in the mountains.
However, parts of the city were flooded and cars were trapped in the deep water.
The National Weather Service warned people about the possibility of heavy snow, falling trees, and falling power lines. It also warned about avalanches in some mountain areas.
There were similar storms across the US and about one million homes lost electricity.
In Los Angeles, some weather forecasters reported thundersnow. Thundersnow is a rare event that combines a blizzard and lightning.
There was also light snow reported in the Mojave Desert.
Last week, Portland, Oregon, which is north of California had one of its snowiest days on record.
Vocabulary21 words
- Blizzard
- a powerful snowstorm with strong winds and a lot of snow that lasts for a long time
- Flood
- too much water in a normally dry area; to cover an area with a lot of water
- Warning
- a message that alerts/informs people about a dangerous situation or a possible threat
- Million
- 1,000,000 - one-million
- Set a record
- Set a record - to achieve/accomplish/do something better or more significant than anyone has done before; the most or least ever measured
- Highway
- a large road for fast travel over long distances; motorway; freeway; expressway
- Coast
- the land along the edge of the sea or an ocean; where land meets water
- Palm tree
- ?; a type of tree that is common in warm, tropical regions
- Decade
- 10 years; a 10-year period
- Trapped
- stuck; closed in; can’t escape; can’t go away
- Warn
- to tell someone about something bad or dangerous that might happen; alert; notify
- Possibility
- something that could happen or be true; a chance; something that will maybe happen
- Power line
- a cable or wire that transmits/moves power/electricity from one home or building to another home or building
- Avalanch
- a large amount of snow and/or ice that slides or falls down a mountain
- Lose electricity
- to have no power or electricity in your home or building
- Weather forecaster
- a person who explains and/or reports the weather
- Report
- to tell other people about something; to share information; announce; explain
- Rare
- not common; scarce; not a lot; very limited supply
- Combine
- bring together; merge; in total; unite; put together; mix
- Lightning
- ⚡; a bright flash of light and electricity during a thunderstorm;
- On record
- something that has been officially documented; something that has been officially recorded or written down so people can remember the important information in the future
Discussion questions
- Do you think the extreme weather events like thundersnow and snowfall in the Mojave Desert and LA are because of climate change or do these things naturally happen sometimes?
- How do you think extreme weather conditions like these can impact the economy and people's lives in California and other affected areas?
- How do you think the government and the people of California should prepare for similar extreme weather events in the future? Is your city or country prepared for extreme weather?
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