San Francisco

Winter Wonderland! Snow Makes Rare Return to the Bay Area

After making a spectacular return to the Bay Area on Monday, snow continued to fall on peaks across the region during the early hours of Tuesday, leaving the terrain coated in a blanket of shimmering white.

Locations that received a dusting of snow or more since Monday included the Bay Area's highest peaks — Mount Diablo, Mount Tamalpais, Mount Hamilton and others — along with spots in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the rolling hills above Livermore, Fremont, Palo Alto, Morgan Hill and Calistoga, among many other cities.

Among the spots that received a dusting of snow or more since Monday was the summit in the Santa Cruz Mountains, though it dissipated there faster than at higher elevations. Marianne Favro and Robert Handa report.

Among the locations where snowfall amounts were reported, Mt. Hamilton led the way, receiving 8 inches, according to the National Weather Service. On the other side of the Santa Clara Valley, Mt. Umunhum picked up 3 inches of snow.

Spots in the Santa Cruz Mountains collected 2 inches, with the summit along Highway 17 recording 1 inch, the weather service reported. Even Twin Peaks in San Francisco welcomed a light winter dusting, picking up a trace of snow.

[BAY]Brrrrrrrrrrr: Experience Bay Area Snow in Photos

"Honestly, it's really nice to take in," Sam Courtney with the California Highway Patrol said as he soaked in the snowy sights at the summit of the Santa Cruz Mountains. "It's like a little winter wonderland up here."

Enthusiastic people at the summit took full advantage of the unusual gift from Mother Nature as they hurled snowballs at each other from the side of Highway 17.

"This is our quick version of a trip to Tahoe," Jason Drotar of Los Gatos said as his children played in the white and fluffy powder.

Aerial footage captured a dusting of snow over the East Bay foothills, overlooking the Castro Valley, on Tuesday, Feb. 5.

Skies across the Bay Area were filled with more sunshine as Tuesday moved along, but temperatures remained chilly. Highs only topped out in the upper 40s to low 50s.

Early morning temperatures on Wednesday are slated to check in right around 32 degrees for several locations across the Bay Area. The weather service advised motorists to be on the lookout for black ice that could form on wet roads. 

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