SoCal residents hit the slopes for Christmas Day snow, but not as many as years past

RUNNING SPRINGS, Calif. (KABC) -- Many Southern Californians hit the slopes for Christmas Day, but not as many as in past years. The lack of snow combined with most people staying home due to the pandemic made for a much quieter holiday.

The line of cars heading up to the San Bernardino Mountains was long, but not as long as it could have been. As a result, the slopes at Snow Valley Mountain Resort in Running Springs were not crowded.

"We don't have, really, as much snow as we had in past Christmases and with the stay-at-home order, it's a little slower than it usually is," said Kevin Somes with the resort.

Although the resort didn't see the usual Christmas Day crowds, ski and snowboarding resorts are allowed under Gov. Gavin Newsom's orders.

"I think it's pretty safe because, you know, on the lifts you can just go by yourself and then on the slopes, you're pretty much (physically) distanced from everybody," said San Diego resident Aarefa Taquee.

Others like Hasti Ahmadi anticipated that the slopes would be empty so they made the trip over to take advantage.

Although the mountains got a trace amount of snow on Christmas Eve, it's been a very dry month for the most part, and they could use some help from Mother Nature.

"It's hard for me (because) I learned to ski in North Japan, where they had a 40-foot base and powder up to your knees. I'm not complaining, I'm just blessed to be out here today with all these great people. It's snow!," said Dwayne Robinson of Victorville.

With a cold storm expected to move into the region by Monday, the resort is expecting to get some more snow.

"We expect up to a foot of new snow and very, very cold temperatures... perfect for snowmaking, so we'll have more terrain open in the very, very near future," Somes said.