1949 Winter Wonderland

 

For a few days 65 years ago in mid January, snow blanketed the region transforming Southern California’s landscape into a winter wonderland. Kids were in awe of the snow, taking advantage of the opportunity to buil...d snowmen and throw snowballs at one another. For many young residents, it was their first experience with snow in the valley, and according to news reports, some considered the storm as a sign of climate change in California. The old timers however snickered at this sentiment, remembering the occasional snow storms over the years in the Inland Valley dating back to the 1890s. Cold temperatures were damaging to the citrus crop that year, with frost setting in the days preceding the storm, but fortunately the precipitation and cloud cover did manage to raise temperatures a few degrees, which helped minimize crop loss.