Thunder, lightning, hail, and rain: First storm of Tulare County's wet season in the books

For months, the scenic Tulare County foothills were covered by a thick layer of smoke from wildfires. 

The once green grass was various shades of yellow. 

On Monday, after a series of storms past through California, those living on the Valley floor woke up to a clear view of the vast mountain range and blue skies. 

"The first storm of the wet season is in the record books," National Weather Service (NWS) Hanford stated in its Monday forecast discussion. "A complex weather system that lasted over the past three days brought strong winds across the area on Friday, showers on Friday night into Saturday morning and showers and thunderstorms with heavy snow in the Sierra on Sunday."

On Sunday, many Visalia residents experienced thunder and lightning, followed by a brief downpour of hail. Some weather stations even predicted now for Monday morning, but that forecast fell short. 

It's been months since the area has experienced rain. Total rainfall for the calendar year in Visalia is just over 5 inches, according to NWS.

Tulare County wasn't the only region in the state impacted by wet weather. 

Several inches of snow fell in mountains east of Los Angeles, where tire chains were required and a winter storm warning was in effect through 10 p.m. Sunday. Gusty winds were predicted throughout the region until early Monday.

The second of two low-pressure fronts brought showers and chilly temperatures to hills and coastal areas south of San Francisco late Saturday.

Travelers were urged to use caution in the Sierra Nevada, where heavy snow fell Sunday and more than a foot (30 centimeters) was expected after the system moved through, forecasters said.

Northern California regions ravaged by devastating wildfires during hot, dry, windy weather in August and September saw daytime temperatures dip to the high 50s, forecasters said.

Over the next few days, the Valley will experience "very cold temperatures." Freeze warnings and frost advisories were issued for some inland valleys during overnight hours — including Tulare County.

Locally, freeze warnings will be in effect until Wednesday, according to NWS. 

Thursday and Friday could also bring more rain and snow, at higher elevations. On both days, NWS predicted 20% of showers, with temperatures in the upper 50s and lows in the 40s. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Sheyanne Romero covers Tulare County public safety, local government and business for the Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register newspapers. Follow her on Twitter @sheyanne_VTD. Get alerts and keep up on all things Tulare County for as little as $1 a month. Subscribe today.