This summer, Californians have endured scorching heat waves, devastating wildfires, and now snow. On Saturday morning, an unusually strong and rare snow front dusted California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range. It’s been more than 20 years since this phenomenon last occurred in the so-called Golden State in August.
Madera County Sheriff’s Deputy Larry Rich said seeing snow fall at Minaret Vista, a viewpoint southeast of Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada, in August was “totally unexpected.” “It’s not every day you get to spend your birthday surrounded by a winter wonderland in the middle of summer,” Rich said in a statement. “It was a day I won’t forget and a unique reminder of why I love working in this field. “It’s one of those moments that makes working here so special.”
The Madera County Sheriff’s Office posted a video on its Facebook page showing the rare summer snowfall and asked visitors to stay safe. “If you plan on visiting us, please drive carefully and be prepared for cold weather,” the post said.
Yosemite hasn’t seen snow in August in at least 20 years, according to the National Weather Service. Snow fell at Mammoth Mountain and Palisades Tahoe ski resorts. “Cool morning. Check out the fresh snowpack in the mid- to high mountains,” Mammoth officials posted.
About 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) fell in Lassen Volcanic National Park, according to the weather service. But in most areas, barely a dusting of snow fell, and summer temperatures returned 24 hours later.
However, the rare summer snowstorm brought record amounts of precipitation to Redding, Red Bluff and Stockton in Northern California on Saturday, the weather service reported. The “abnormally cold conditions” will extend across much of the western United States through Sunday morning, according to the weather service’s weather prediction center in College Park, Maryland. Despite the expected precipitation, forecasters also warned of the risk of wildfires that could be sparked by gusty winds associated with the cold front.
From Friday morning to Saturday morning, a flash flood warning was also issued in Park, the area burned by the largest wildfire so far this year:razed more than 420,000 hectares and four counties after it erupted in late July near the northern California city of Chico and then moved up the western slopes of the Sierra. The fire has become the fourth largest recorded in California to date. Although California fire officials and the Department of Forestry reported that the fire was 78% contained, patches of vegetation continue to burn within its perimeter today, even though evacuation orders have already been lifted.
Translation of María d’Oultremont
