Parts of California got a real white Christmas this year.
While you might not have seen a big old guy in a red suit beaming through the skies you would have seen the holiday storm system. A series of storms swept through California in the weeks leading up to Christmas, turning high elevations into true winter wonderlands and bringing heavy rains to other parts of the region. The Sierra Nevada mountains were buried in snow with peaks like Northstar reaching 117 inches during Christmas Week and the aqua water of Lake Tahoe was surrounded by powder-white slopes in the eastern shoreline. Even parts of Joshua Tree were lightly dusted in snow.
Meanwhile, flood-prone areas of Southern California experiences severe mudflows, prompting evacuation alerts—so be sure to check road and weather reports if you plan to travel. Unfortunately, strong winds and snow have brought down trees and power lines, bringing parts of Interstate 80 to a halt on Sunday. More is expected rain and snow is expected in Southern California from Wednesday, tapering off into the new year.
Here’s a look at the holiday storms seen across the state.
Angeles National Forest
San Bernadino
Heavy ongoing rain in San Bernandino currently caused major mudslides and prompted an evacuation warning.
Bear Mountain
Lake Tahoe
Emerald State Park
Joshua Tree
While many places in Sothern California saw rain, higher elevations in Joshua Tree were covered in snow.