Winter storm sending heavy snow where California rarely sees it

Snow covered peaks are viewed after a series of atmospheric river storms brought heavy snowfall to the region on January 22, 2023 near Mammoth Lakes, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The winter storm that's pummeling nearly half the United States means snow in parts of California that often don't see it.

"It's not too often that we talk about one to three feet of snow above 4,000 feet, let alone locally five feet," National Weather Service meteorologist Alex Tardy said in a video update released Tuesday for the San Diego region.