A cruel storm hit on the first day of spring in the metropolitan area of Southern California. Mountainous areas were covered with snow while several other parts of the region were affected by heavy rain and strong winds on Sunday.

The winter storm warnings issued by the National Weather Service on Sunday were extended until midday of Monday for the mountainous areas of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

At the Bob Hope Airport, sixteen flights were cancelled and at least eight flights were diverted by the Southwest Airlines because of strong winds in Burbank on Sunday. Long delays were also experienced by other airlines, according to an airport spokesman.

Nearly 27 inches of snow covered the Pine Mountain Club located in Kern Country while Lockwood Valley were covered with 19 and ½ inches of snow, said weather specialist Stuart Seto of National Weather Service in Oxnard. The Ventura River is also expected to crest at midnight.

Power interruptions were also experienced by almost 60,000 homes, including many business establishments mostly outside of Los Angeles sand Orange Counties. Most of them were customers of Department of Water and Power, as well as California Edison.

Power interruptions were also experienced by almost 60,000 homes, including many business establishments, mostly outside of Los Angeles and Orange Counties. They were under the Department of Water and Power, as well as California Edison electricity supply company.

Road accidents were increased on Sunday because of slick roads, flooding and mudslides. However, there were no fatalities reported, according to Ed Jacobs, California Highway Patrol Officer.

Officials said several challengers who joined the 26th Los Angeles Marathon were brought to the hospital because of hypothermia.

Seto said another low-pressure system is expected to hit Los Angeles accompanied with more rain on Friday.

A luxury tour bus from New York’s Chinatown was headed to Philadelphia and crashed on the New Jersey Turnpike Monday evening. Two people were killed and many are injured on the second bus accident on one of the busiest roads in New York City, the police said.

The Chinatown bus carried 45 passengers when it smashed into a concrete support column after it swerved onto a grass divider near East Brunswick of New Jersey, the New Jersey police officials said.

The bus came to a halt and stood at a 90-degree angle to the flow of traffic. According to 21-year-old bus passenger Ashley Wilson, the bus driver lost control and they started to swerve from side to side.

The impact of the collision pushed Driver Wei Wang through the bus’ windshield and was killed. The driver, who was 50-years-old, was not wearing a seatbelt even though it is enforced by law, the police said.

Passenger Troy Nguyen, partially expelled through the bus’ rear window, died after he was brought to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital located in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Officials said five other passengers were seriously injured and were already taken to the trauma unit. About three dozen passengers with minor injuries also received medical treatment at the hospital.

The crash came just a few days after the Saturday bus accident in New York City, which killed 15 passengers from a Connecticut casino headed to Chinatown.

The two buses involved in the recent road accidents were operated by companies based in the neighborhood of Chinatown. The buses were popularly known as “Chinese buses” and were developed by immigrants from China who offer low trip rates around the northeast US.

Authorities were already investigating the Saturday crash whose driver survived in the accident. Safety standards have also been raised since the Saturday accident.