SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Several parts of the Bay Area saw some rare snow Thursday morning, and the Santa Cruz Mountains were no exception.
A treat so rare, ABC7 found many families making a special trip up Highway 17, just to see the snow in the mountains for themselves.
“It’s gorgeous and it’s beautiful and everyone should come see it, it looks like Tahoe in Santa Cruz,” Marilyn L’Heureux, a Capitola resident said.
VIDEO: SKY7 flies over snow blanketing SF Bay Area peaks
A sight so rare, with thick, fluffy flakes, some say, they’ve never seen it here before.
“Over here, in the Bay Area, never, the first time in, we’ve been living here for eight years, so first time in eight years,” Diego More, a San Jose resident said.
And if they have, others say, it’s been years!
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“It’s pretty incredible, we saw snow here a few years ago, but it’s been a while since we’ve seen it, it’s pretty amazing that it snowed this close to the beach” Stephanie L’Heureux, a Capitola resident said.
But not everyone was prepared. Despite snowplows working through the night to help clear the roads, while driving up Highway 9 in Saratoga, ABC7 crews saw a pick-up truck that spun out. The truck had hit the guard rail and couldn’t make it up the hill, temporarily blocking traffic.
Still, that wasn’t stopping the More family from making a special trip to the Santa Cruz Mountains from San Jose.
“It’s something you don’t get to see very often right?” More said. “So we saw it this morning on the news and then we just decided to drive quickly, get some breakfast and get to see the snow.”
Other families were also taking full advantage of the rare snow, with an impromptu snowball fight Thursday morning.
“It feels like it’s something right out of one of those Christmas movies, well maybe not straight out of one, we’ve got some palm trees here but yeah it’s like a winter wonderland here,” Stephanie L’Heureux said.
Snow day in the Santa Cruz Mountains
Some living in the Santa Cruz Mountains spoke Thursday about how rare snow is.
“First time I’ve seen snow in a long time in California this area,” said Boulder Creek resident Jordan Roe.
The news of the snow being so close to home inspired several people to venture out of their communities and see it for themselves.
“We took a drive over the mountains, Highway 9. We were surprised to see the snow over there, it’s absolutely gorgeous,” said Sue Bowman, “Twelve miles from home, I live in San Jose, we never expected it to snow but it’s snowing up there.”
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The snow continued accumulating in the higher elevations of the Santa Cruz mountains throughout Thursday afternoon.
Though much of it was gone by midday in lower areas, with more snow on the way, locals didn’t waste any time preparing for power outages, with dozens filling up containers of fuel at a Boulder Creek gas station.
Power outages that they’d already endured for a short time when they woke up in the morning.
The National Weather Service says a Winter Storm Warning remains in effect for parts of the Santa Cruz mountains from 7 p.m. Thursday until 11 a.m. Friday.
Residents react to Wednesday’s hail and snow
On Wednesday, loud hail could be heard pounding Rochelle Maselli’s car after her trip to Grocery Outlet Bargain Market in Hayward Wednesday.
“We all looked outside because there was so much noise you could hear the hail,” said Maselli.
She said it was so loud and people were running around the store’s parking lot.
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Parts of the Bay Area were hit hard with hail Wednesday. An additional hail video taken by a viewer in Santa Rosa showed what looked like snow along the landscape.
“But it was very unexpected just like ‘woosh,’ just like came through but that’s why I love the Bay Area,” said Maselli.
The Bay Area and just beyond that also saw snow Wednesday on Highway 17 in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
“We’ve just been having the craziest weather. I’ve really never seen anything like it,” said Kenzie Stanley of Boulder Creek. Stanley’s husband witnessed snowfall along Bear Creek Road, also in the Santa Cruz mountains.
Extreme weather becoming more common, expert says
“Perhaps maybe every five years we’ll see snow along the Santa Cruz mountains and then it melts away pretty quickly,” said Professor Alison Bridger who is Meteorology and Climate Science Department Chair at San Jose State University.
What is out of the ordinary with this weather are the extremes, according to Professor Bridger.
“The models are unequivocal in that unusual weather is becoming more usual, more common, and we should not be surprised by anything,” said Bridger.
Bridger explained when your best chance is at seeing snow on a hillside or mountain.
“I think probably Friday morning would be a good idea to rush outside in your jammies and take a look and see what the hillsides look like,” she said.
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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
