Storms leave blanket of snow on Southern California mountains

Skiers and snowboarders looking to take advantage of 2 to 3 feet of snow dumped across Southern California’s mountains may want to wait until next week when another 6 to 12 inches is expected to fall, weather experts said.

Snow levels should reach about 3,000 feet today and possibly as low as 2,500 feet, according to a National Weather Service official.

All roads to Big Bear were closed this morning until further notice. According to Caltrans, there were cars stuck on Highway 330.

“On these types of days you got everybody wanting to get up there with their snowboards,” said California Highway Patrol Officer Tommy Cunningham.

Bear Mountain resort has closed its doors for the day because of electrical power problems and “too much snow,” said Dallas Goldsmith, manager of a local ski and snowboard shop. By this morning, six customers had wandered into his shop.

“But next weekend,” he said, “business will get fantastic.”

Lifts lay partly buried in nearly four feet of powder that would be a winter sports enthusiast’s dream were it not for the difficult conditions reaching the mountains.

“It’s still dumping,” Goldsmith said. “If you live up here on a side street, you’re stuck.”

In Orange County, snow was creeping down to the 4,000-feet mark at Santiago Peak in the Santa Ana Mountains.

And in La Cañada Flintridge, real estate agent Fran Vernon looked out her window to see powder dusting the foothills.

“It’s come down lower than I’ve seen it, and I’ve lived here since 1985,” Vernon marveled. “It’s a beautiful sight.”

-- Amina Khan

Photo: La Canada Flintridge residents are treated to an early morning view of a light dusting of snow in the local foothills and San Gabriel Mountains. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

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Comments

[dogrob1]

i've lived in California since 1961 and have seen it snow in the city of LA once in the late 60s snow on the lawns and in the hills of the
San Fernando Valley in 1981