While we were (fairly) warm in sunny Orange County, California, including the north coast that is our home, experienced a huge winter storm which even had snow falling on the beaches as far south as Santa Cruz. While we did wake up to a little snowfall back in February 2019, it hardly ever snows in our neck of the woods on the NorCal coast, and this was the most snow that the area had seen in more than three decades (I think the accumulation was something like 3-4 inches locally near the coast, and more in the hills).
I've seen plenty of snow fall in my lifetime, but we saw many messages and posts from local (mostly CA native) friends on social media with gleeful adults (and kids) making snowpeople, taking videos of falling snow, and playing in the powder (stolen photos here).
Carson Mansion in Eureka (Kenneth Tinkham)
My Friend Karen's cute snowperson
Snow on the beach is a rare sight!
We were, briefly, sad to miss the big winter event (although Iver admitted that he enjoyed traveling for the cruise more than seeing a little snow fall at home). However, knowing that we had to travel back to town started to make us nervous. Our flight from LA to Arcata did, indeed, get cancelled altogether and there were no available soon flights to re-book our whole family home for days (thanks probably to the holiday week!).
We were checking the CalTrans road website frequently given that we have, more than a few times, due to poor local weather over the decade-plus we've lived here, flown to San Francisco and driven the rest of the way (which takes ~five hours in good weather) rather than miss work (or a connection in reverse). After we rebooked our flight to SFO and booked a rental car (as the roads were open at that time!), we learned that late on Thursday, the North-South Highway 101 about halfway between the Bay Area and Humboldt County was closed late due to unsafe, snowy conditions, many (75-200) cars/vehicles stranded or spun out, and trees and more down (with no expected reopening time or date).
Driving conditions:
The below map gives you a sense of the road closures all over Northern California on Friday (which didn't even include a stretch of the major I-5 between Redding and the Oregon border).
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plowing the 299
Our view:
As we neared the coast, we saw less and less snow and more sun. The kids were hoping to spot some snow at our house, and were extremely happy to see a few little piles in our front yard and back deck that hadn't yet melted.
(snow is apparently best experienced barefoot!)
Enough to throw a few snowballs...
... and to try to collect to "save" (despite knowing about melting points!), since we probably won't get snow of this quantity for another three decades or so.
Lone Flower, hemmed in with snows and white as they
But hardier far, once more I see thee bend
Thy forehead, as if fearful to offend,
Like an unbidden guest. Though day by day,
Storms, sallying from the mountain-tops, waylay
The rising sun, and on the plains descend;
Yet art thou welcome, welcome as a friend
Whose zeal outruns his promise! Blue-eyed May
Shall soon behold this border thickly set
With bright jonquils, their odours lavishing
On the soft west-wind and his frolic peers;
Nor will I then thy modest grace forget,
Chaste Snowdrop, venturous harbinger of Spring,
And pensive monitor of fleeting years!
- William Wordsworth, To a Snowdrop
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