Gavin Newsom declares emergency in Madera, Mariposa and other counties hit by snowstorms

Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in Madera, Mariposa and 11 other counties because of the winter storms that have battered mountain communities in California.

The announcement comes the day after authorities said they would ask for help because local resources were strained under more than twice the amount of snow as normal in places like Madera and Mariposa.

The governor’s announcement said he activated the National Guard and the State Operations Center to support Amador, Kern, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, Nevada, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Sierra, Sonoma and Tulare counties.

The effort also calls on Cal Fire and private companies to access more snow plows, the declaration says.

Highways and major roadways connecting to the San Joaquin Valley like Interstate 5 and Highway 58 were closed much of Wednesday because of snow in higher elevations.

Others like Highway 168 in eastern Fresno County have been closed since Friday and are still days from being cleared, according to local authorities.

China Peak Mountain Resort in Fresno County reported about 12 feet of snow in the past six days while Yosemite National Park officials said they saw areas of 15 feet of snow. Both have been closed to the public because roadways are impassable.

Low elevation snow was falling down to about 1,800 feet on Wednesday, officials said.

“The extreme conditions amidst ongoing storm activity require a high level of immediate attention,” Madera County Sheriff Tyson Pogue said on social media.

The county has seen widespread downed trees, road hazards and power outages amid snowfall, he said.

“We have deployed all available resources to address the needs of the community, and look forward to the additional support this proclamation will provide,” he said.

Thousands of users in the foothills in Madera, Mariposa and Fresno counties remain without power, which failed beginning Friday, according to Pacific Gas and Electric.

The weather service said there’s a potential for more storms in the region this coming weekend.

Southern California has also been hit hard, according to officials.

“This well may be the largest single-event snowfall in some parts of Southern California since the 1980s,” UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain told the Los Angeles Times before the storm hit. “This is a big deal.”

As of Sunday morning, Mountain High Resort in LA County, which has an elevation of 7,000 feet, saw nearly 8 feet of snow, according to the National Weather Service. With an elevation of 8,500 feet, Mount Pinos saw up to 6 feet of snow, while Mt. Wilson, which has an elevation of 5,700 feet, saw about 3 feet of snow.

The Sacramento Bee contributed to this report.