Wednesday, March 2, 2011

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Post 142: San Diego Mountain Snow


This is the view that some San Diegans had over the weekend.  A major winter storm came through on Friday night, the skies cleared on Saturday and Sunday, and this picture was in the newspaper over the weekend.

The photograph was taken from Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery on Point Loma (where my parents are buried), west of downtown San Diego.  The high snow-covered mountain in the background is Mount Cuyamaca (kwee-ah-mah-cah), over 6,000 feet high, and the central peak is a good 40 miles east of downtown San Diego.

There are many locations in San Diego that afford a similar view of the mountains, but only when the air is really clear, as it was when this picture was taken. 

Last weekends storm dropped snow down to about the 2,000 foot level in the county, which occurs once in about every five years.  The higher mountains get snow several times every year,  and resort towns like Julian (about 4,000 feet) get snow every winter, sometimes more than once.

When it is real clear, it seems like you can see forever.  I remember being out at Cabrillo National Monument on the southern tip of Point Loma and being able to see the top of snow-covered Mount Baldy which is over 120 miles to the north above Ontario, California. 

Has it snowed at sea level in San Diego?  YES! - several times in my lifetime - read about my experiences with San Diego winter weather in Advent Calendar - December 9: Christmas Weather. 

3 comments:

Elizabeth O'Neal said...

Wow, that never happened when I lived there! Beautiful!

Michelle Goodrum said...

Great picture Randy! I love the city buildings in the foreground.

DCH said...

Love this pic! I would hang it on my living room wall if I could find a poster. Thanks for sharing.