STORM USHERS IN CHILLY TEMPS.

Byline: - Staff and Wire Services

A strong storm that hit Northern California on Saturday delivered some rain to the Los Angeles area, but local showers were expected to give way to partly cloudy skies and chilly weather today, forecasters said.

Windy and cool conditions, with highs in the 60s and lows in the upper 30s and low 40s were expected today, with chilly weather to continue through much of the coming week, said Bill Hoffer, spokesman for the National Weather Service.

``Don't expect to see rain, but it's going to be cold,'' said Hoffer.

The storm system had caused strong southwest to west winds to develop, and the National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for the Antelope Valley as well as the mountains in Los Angeles and Ventura counties through noon today.

A high-wind watch was issued for the Santa Monica Mountains and the valleys of Los Angeles and Ventura counties for tonight through Tuesday.

Saturday's storm was expected to drop snow in some of the higher elevations in the Southland. Snowmaking machines were in full operation Saturday at ski resorts in the San Bernardino Mountains, where several feet of snow fell before Thanksgiving.

``It's been a great kickoff to the season,'' said Chris Riddle, director of marketing for the Snow Summit and Big Bear Mountain resorts. ``We're making a lot of people happy, and we're doing good business.''

The storm was fiercer elsewhere in the state, where it dumped up to 18 inches of snow in the Sierra Nevada on Saturday, cut power to thousands in Northern California and scattered rain throughout much of the state.

It marked the first significant snowfall to the Sierra Nevada since a surprise October storm dumped 4 feet of snow and stranded several groups of backpackers and rock climbers.

``We're loving life right now,'' said Rachael Woods, a spokeswoman at Alpine Meadows ski resort near Lake Tahoe, which had received 8 to 12 inches of fresh snow by noon Saturday. ``Put your shopping off until tomorrow.''

Motorists faced chain controls on Interstate 80 and Highway 50, Northern California's main east-west conduits. A failed instrument landing system at Reno-Tahoe International Airport further complicated travel to the area, forcing the delay or cancellation of 69 flights.