Santa Cruz Mountains residents wake up to snow
Aptos residents were surprised by scattered hailstorms; additional showers in forecast
SANTA CRUZ >> Some Santa Cruz residents awoke Wednesday to an unusual sighting on the Central Coast: snow.
Overnight and through Wednesday afternoon a low-pressure storm system dropped rain, snow and in some areas such as Aptos, pea-sized hail, according to Rick Canepa, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
“That’s all associated with the instability moving through right now, due to a cool pool of air that’s aloft,” Canepa said. “It’s that higher elevation that we’re seeing where it’s cold enough for supporting snow.”
Snow continued to fall in some parts of the Santa Cruz Mountains and has been documented at 2,000-foot elevations and above, locally.
Ted Logan, a Santa Cruz Mountains resident who lives near Loma Prieta, captured the snow dusting on
his camera.
“It’s a low-pressure system from higher latitudes, that’s moving down to our latitude,” Canepa said. “The combination of that unstable air mass picking up water vapor off the ocean is what is causing these showers and isolated thunderstorms.”
That low-pressure system could create the right conditions for localized thunder and lightning storms over Wednesday afternoon. County officials warned residents to drive more slowly, as roads are particularly slick.
Canepa forecasted that if anything, another quick, light rain shower may pop up in the afternoon hours.
“There could be another quick tenth of inch,” Canepa said, “Because of more spotty nature of showers and thunderstorms… this is kind of hit or miss.”
The meteorologist said seeing snow at high elevations, and scattered hailstorms isn’t particularly unusual for the Santa Cruz Mountains during the winter months. Canepa was more impressed by the low temperatures the weather service documented.
Mount Umunhum, in Santa Clara County, saw temperatures as low as 30.
The weather service advises residents in the Santa Cruz Mountains to watch the weather forecast, as low temperatures forecast Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, could lead to hazardous road conditions, such as black ice.
“Keep attuned to latest forecast,” Canepa said. “Chilly, cold, frosty temps that we’ll have for next few nights and during the early morning hours is something to pay attention to.”