The white stuff blanketing Southern California’s Huntington Beach on Monday was not powdery sand.
It was hail.
@ohmanmorgan
Hail covers Huntington Beach.
People of all shapes and sizes flocked to the beach to snap images of the white stuff covering the Orange County shoreline.
But Eric Boldt, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said despite the Twitter frenzy of photos, this is not all that unusual.
“Any time a thunderstorm moves over and there’s a little bit of ice,” this phenomenon happens, he said. “For once, we’re having a normal winter precipitation.” He also insisted that it was hail dotting the beach, not snow.
Other parts of California saw weird weather over the weekend as well. In the Bay Area, it hailed in San Jose on Sunday, and even snowed a bit on the hillsides.
Boldt said that weather conditions should warm up by Tuesday.
Scott Baker
Foothills east of San Jose are covered in white! #cawx
Laura Garcia-Cannon
Cold storm moves across #BayArea leaves #hail in #SanJose Evergreen Hills.
Laura Garcia-Cannon
Cold storm moves across #BayArea leaves #hail in #SanJose Evergreen Hills.
Damian Trujillo
Snow capped hills in San Jose hills.
Rob Mayeda
A view from Downtown San Jose of some hail producing cells moving WSW near downtown.
NBC Bay Area
Avaya Stadium's MLS soccer game debut was interrupted by Saturday's storm.
Damian Trujillo
Snowman on the hood.
Damian Trujillo
It's a party/invasion in Evergreen #evergreeensnow
Robert Handa
Impressive #hail #snow in the #SantaClaraCounty hills near #SJ #MorganHill.
Chiquis Trotro
A snowman in San Jose in late February? Or shall we see hailman?
Chris Jordan
This was the scene Saturday in San Jose.
David Burckhard
Landscape above The Villages retirement community in South San Jose.
Chris Trotro
Hail-covered San Jose roads.
Wendi Amber Zuccaro
More ice-covered roads in the South Bay.
Christie Smith
Kids bundled up enjoying this South Bay weather.
Amy Hutto
Lawn chairs covered in ice.
Angela Carrillo
Ice on the windshield.
Rosa Pettengill
That's amazing but if you want all this snow, it's FREE for the taking! New England storm 2015! - Rosa Pettengill
Yolanda Murillo Perez
Fun in the hail!
