Snow ?!??? But This is California?!?!!

Coastal California, at that. We're not supposed to have snow, except maybe every 10 years or so. There was snow in this area last winter, so this winter was supposed to be snow-free.

Ha! This looks like snow to me! The snowflakes were huge (up to 1.5 inches across) and wet, but more of a curiosity than a hindrance.



View looking up the hill behind the house on Monday morning, where most of the oak trees are bare, and the grass is just barely starting to peek out. We planted several hundred daffodil bulbs a couple of months ago, and they've begun to sprout, only to get frosted in this chilly weather.

Granted, because the ground temp was 36 F at the time, the snow didn't stick for more than a few seconds at this altitude, but up in the hills between here and the ocean, it reached 5 inches of depth and lasted for several hours before melting. Today, however, was completely clear, and it'll get very cold (well below freezing) tonight.

I know, I know, much of the country has had a ton more snow, and far colder temperatures, along with massive power outages and real misery. Which is why we love living in California, where winter is usually optional - if you want snow, you can drive to a ski area in a couple of hours, but aren't forced to cope with the white stuff on a regular basis.