PHOTOS: California sees heavy snow across the state

With Southern California’s mountain communities under a snow emergency, residents are grappling with power outages, roof collapses and lack of basic necessities like baby formula and medicine.

Californians are usually elated to look up and see snow-covered mountains from Los Angeles and drive a couple of hours to sled, ski and snowboard. But what started out as a beautiful sight has become a hazardous nightmare for those renting vacation homes in the scenic, tree-lined communities and for those who live there year-round, according to The Associated Press.

Back-to-back-snowstorms have blanketed the region repeatedly, giving people no time to shovel out, AP reported.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared an emergency in 13 counties late Wednesday and called up the National Guard to assist.