High wind and rain raising concerns as storm moves through Mariposa

MARIPOSA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The expected snowfall is already delaying the commencement of schoolhouse and concern Thursday successful immoderate Sierra communities.

The usually engaged Pizza Factory successful downtown Mariposa had lone a mates of quiescent tables of customers Wednesday nighttime arsenic rainfall fell outside.

"Normally not excessively overmuch tin support radical retired of Pizza Factory, but it seems similar they mightiness beryllium anticipating immoderate truly atrocious upwind due to the fact that we are dead," said Kasie Kelly.

The upwind whipped flags and pushed astir hanging planters.

After shops closed Wednesday, tourists recovered structure from the weather, leaving mostly locals successful downtown restaurants.

The rainfall and snowfall whitethorn adjacent halt immoderate tourists from heading into Yosemite oregon higher elevations arsenic the California Highway Patrol is informing astir the anticipation of needing snowfall chains.

Even if you're conscionable driving done the rain, officers privation you to instrumentality caution.

"We're conscionable wanting everybody to dilatory down, particularly these winding roads. Upper elevations we could person snow, icy conditions," said California Highway Patrol Officer Steven Mullen.

"So, we privation everyone to summation that pursuing distance, springiness yourself much time."

The upwind gusts are drafting attraction to pain scar areas and roadways with dormant trees with the California Highway Patrol informing drivers to ticker retired for falling debris.

Mariposa County Schools were already enactment connected a two-hour hold for Thursday greeting classes and region offices won't unfastened until 10 a.m.

PG&E is employing AI to foretell wherever outages could hap during the tempest and preparing accordingly.

"By utilizing AI, we're capable to pre-station our crews successful the areas that we expect volition get deed the hardest and the mode that benefits our customers is should they acquisition an outage," said Jeff Smith with PG&E.

"We're capable to get them restored safely and quickly."

If you're headed to higher elevations beryllium definite to cheque for concatenation power earlier leaving, CHP encourages anyone headed to the mountains to battalion the chains conscionable successful lawsuit arsenic good arsenic exigency supplies.

For quality updates, travel Kate Nemarich connected Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.