YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — The West Coast’s summer has been interrupted by an unusually cold system from the Gulf of Alaska that dropped down through the Pacific Northwest into Northern California.
Snow fell on towering Mount Rainier in Washington State, and in California a dusting was possible on the crest of the Sierra Nevada, mostly around Tioga Pass and higher elevations of Yosemite National Park, the National Weather Service said.
August snow has not occurred in those locations since 2003, forecasters said.
Tioga Pass rises to more than 9,900 feet (3,017 meters) and serves as the eastern entryway to Yosemite. But it is usually closed much of each year by winter snow that can take one or two months to clear.
“While this snow will not stay around very long, roads near Tioga Pass could be slick and any campers and hikers should prepare for winter conditions,” the weather service wrote.
While the start of ski season is at least several months away, the hint of winter was welcomed by resorts.