Mountain communities in both San Bernardino and Riverside counties are bearing the brunt of the latest storm rolling into Southern California, but some people opted to use the cold Valentine’s Day weather to hit Mountain High Resort in Wrightwood.

“We wanted to do something different because I checked the restaurants and everything is booked and really hard to reserve,” said Los Angeles resident Brandon Burgos, who headed up to Wrightwood with Mari Raya for the day. “I didn’t want to look anymore, so I said, ‘Let’s just go to the snow.’”

The couple were not the only ones opting for a different type of Valentine’s Day.

“It’s actually my first time snowboarding and I’m not going to lie, I fell at least 100 times up there, but ultimately it was a really fun experience,” Los Angeles resident Ashli West told KTLA.

While it was a spectacular day at the resort, the sunny skies are not expected to last long.

“It’s been closer to spring conditions, but with this cold front coming in, we do expect to make some snow,” Zach Longacre, with Mountain High Resort, said.

A bitter cold front is moving through the local mountain communities, bringing fresh snow that visitors to the area can enjoy for the President’s Day weekend ahead.

“The storm is coming down directly from the north,” Alex Tardy, with the National Weather Service, told KTLA. “So, it’s a cold storm, probably the coldest one we’ve seen all year.”

Parts of the Inland Empire, like Riverside Fontana and Corona are expected to see freezing temperatures by midnight.

Tardy said the storm will be fast, but it’s expected to pack a punch in a span of about two hours in areas like Wrightwood, Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear, which may see get about two inches of snow.

Most areas impacted by the storm, according to Tardy, are going to see winds as high as 50-60 miles an hour, which will have the potential to blow down trees and power lines.

Many people in the mountains say they’ll make sure to get out before the storm rolls in, so they can avoid dangerous road conditions.

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When temperatures drop and snow starts falling, portable generators of every size need a quick check-in to make sure that they’re ready to go before a possible power outage during inclement weather.

The experts at Generac shared five tips to help you prepare your generator for the winter-weather season.

Easy-to Access Storage: When it is not in use, make sure that your generator is stored in an easy-to-access place in a garage, shed, or other area where it can be accessed during inclement weather. While it’s important to keep it in a dry space when not in use, most storage places are not suitable for a running unit. Any fuel-powered generator must be operated outdoors, away from doors, vents, or windows due to potential carbon monoxide buildup.  

Check, Change and Prepare Oil: Check your service manual for recommended timing between oil changes and be sure your unit is ready to run at a moment’s notice, including the use of oil stabilizers and winter-ready oil, if recommended.

Have Safe, Stable Fuel on Hand: Fresh is best. Gasoline begins to break down and become less effective at about 30 days and diesel, while more stable, runs the risk of developing sediment or sludge, particularly in low temperatures. Be sure fresh fuel is available for your generator and add stabilizers as recommended by your owner’s manual.

Double-Check the Components: It’s important to give your generator a thorough check for any damage that may have occurred while stored. Make sure nothing is out of place and there is no corrosion or rust in critical areas. Rodents, bugs, and birds are also known to nest in engines, so clear any pest debris before operation. Manual choking to bring more fuel into the engine on an electric-start generator may also help with low temperature starting.

Maintenance: To ensure that your winterizing efforts have worked, regularly check up on your generator, running it for five minutes to ensure that it’s fully operational. Take this time to double check any of the above concerns and rest assured that your backup plan is in its best condition for an outage.

Generator technology has come a long way. While portable generators can easily power up a few appliances straight out of the box, automatic home standby generators offer greater peace of mind, starting automatically when the power goes out, and with the ability to run continuously until utility power is restored. Sitting outside of the home similarly to a central air unit, a home standby connects via an automatic transfer switch, either wired to power the entire house or just select critical circuits. The power of these generators is tailored to a home’s size and power requirements and is a failsafe for power outages while you’re away from the home. Larger fuel capacities or a direct connection to natural gas lines provides longer term, less complicated protection when properly maintained.

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