SACRAMENTO, CA — An unusually cold weather system from the Gulf of Alaska brought summer to a halt along the West Coast on Saturday, dumping snow on Mount Rainier in Washington state and national parks in Northern California, forcing authorities to close parts of the highways that run through the parks.
Portions of Highway 89 through Lassen Volcanic National Park in California were closed Saturday after three inches of snow fell overnight, according to the National Weather Service. Photos posted by the National Weather Service and local authorities show the snow-covered peaks of Mount Rainier and Minaret Vista, an observation tower in the southeastern part of Yosemite National Park in California’s Sierra Nevada.
Madera County Sheriff’s Deputy Larry Rich said seeing snow in Minaret Vista in August was “definitely unexpected.”
“It’s not every day that you get to spend your birthday surrounded by a winter wonderland in the middle of summer,” he said in a statement. “It was a day I’ll never forget and a unique reminder of why I love serving this community. It’s one of the moments that makes working here so special.”
In northern Nevada, rain forced organizers to close most of the annual Burning Man festival Saturday before reopening it. The heavy rains that ruined last year’s festival turned the festival and temporary city into a mud swamp.
Snow fell overnight at California’s Mammoth Mountain ski resort, prompting the National Weather Service to warn hikers and campers to prepare for slippery roads.
Additional light snow is expected across California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, primarily around Tioga Pass and the higher elevations of Yosemite National Park, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters say the area hasn’t seen snow in August since 2003.
Tioga Pass rises to over 9,900 feet (3,017 m) and serves as the eastern entrance to Yosemite, but is usually closed most of the year due to winter snow, which takes one to two months to melt.
“While this snow is not expected to last long, roads near Tioga Pass could be slippery, so campers and hikers should be prepared for winter conditions,” the weather service wrote.
Although ski season is still at least a few months away, resorts are welcoming signs of winter.
“Cool and breezy August weather in Palisades Tahoe with a potential storm this afternoon that could bring our first snow of the season!” the resort said in a social media post Friday.
“Unusually cold weather conditions” will spread across much of the western United States through Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service’s Weather Forecast Center in College Park, Maryland.
Despite the expected rainfall, forecasters warned that the cold snap and strong winds could pose a fire risk.
At the same time, a flash flood watch has been issued for Friday morning through Saturday morning due to damage from California’s largest wildfire this year.
The Park Fire began in late July near the Central Valley city of Chico and spread along the western slope of the Sierra, covering more than 671 square miles (1,748 square kilometers).
This fire is the fourth largest fire on record in California, but has recently been largely contained. Vegetative Island continues to burn within its boundaries, but evacuation orders have been canceled.
California’s wildfire season got off to a strong start in July, with the fires eating through the dry vegetation that grew during a series of wet years. Fire activity has been relatively flat lately.
As the cold wave fades, summer heat is expected to return quickly.
