High wind and rain raising concerns as storm moves through Mariposa

MARIPOSA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The expected snowfall is already delaying the start of school and business Thursday in some Sierra communities.

The normally busy Pizza Factory in downtown Mariposa had only a couple of quiet tables of customers Wednesday night as rain fell outside.

"Normally not too much can keep people out of Pizza Factory, but it seems like they might be anticipating some really bad weather because we are dead," said Kasie Kelly.

The wind whipped flags and pushed around hanging planters.

After shops closed Wednesday, tourists found shelter from the weather, leaving mostly locals in downtown restaurants.

The rain and snow may even stop some tourists from heading into Yosemite or higher elevations as the California Highway Patrol is warning about the possibility of needing snow chains.

Even if you're just driving through the rain, officers want you to take caution.

"We're just wanting everybody to slow down, especially these winding roads. Upper elevations we could have snow, icy conditions," said California Highway Patrol Officer Steven Mullen.

"So, we want everyone to increase that following distance, give yourself more time."

The wind gusts are drawing attention to burn scar areas and roadways with dead trees with the California Highway Patrol warning drivers to watch out for falling debris.

Mariposa County Schools were already put on a two-hour delay for Thursday morning classes and county offices won't open until 10 a.m.

PG&E is employing AI to predict where outages could happen during the storm and preparing accordingly.

"By using AI, we're able to pre-station our crews in the areas that we expect will get hit the hardest and the way that benefits our customers is should they experience an outage," said Jeff Smith with PG&E.

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

If you're headed to higher elevations be sure to check for chain control before leaving, CHP encourages anyone headed to the mountains to pack the chains just in case as well as emergency supplies.

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