winter weather

Snow in Southern California: Storm brings hail, snow to lower elevations

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

SoCal storm brings hail, snow to lower elevations

The latest storm system brought some unexpected winter weather to regions at lower elevations in Southern California. Tarzana residents saw a smattering of hail, while folks in Santa Clarita saw some light snow.

It was a different story for our local mountains, which received more than a foot of fresh snow.

Malibu Canyon saw a rare snowfall on Saturday, just a week after seeing temperatures in the 80s.

Menifee resident Sean Sheridan traveled to Snow Valley Mountain Resort to enjoy the conditions.

"It's as good as it gets. The perfect powder, like we're in Colorado or Utah," he said.

Sheridan said reaching Snow Valley was difficult, given the dangerous road conditions.

MORE: Grapevine reopened after winter storm prompts shutdown

The 5 Freeway remained closed in both directions in the Grapevine area as snowy and icy conditions persisted following a recent storm.

"It was white knuckles. It was treacherous," he said, adding that it was worth the trip in the end.

The snow prompted the closure of the Grapevine Monday and brought traffic in the Cajon Pass to an absolute crawl. The Grapevine was eventually reopened Tuesday afternoon.

With the snow level dropping all the way to the foothills, drivers heading up to the mountains on Highway 330 had to chain up. Chains were required for all vehicles, even those with four-wheel drive.