It never rains in California...it pours...and snows...
A few days ago, I was complaining about near-record heat. Then yesterday, we had this hit us:
Snowstorm Shuts San Diego Mountain Road
Associated PressSAN DIEGO (AP) - A California mountain highway near the Mexican border is closed because of a surprise snowstorm that stranded as many as 500 motorists.
Fire officials say Interstate 8 was shut down Thursday afternoon in the coastal mountains of eastern San Diego County. Snow and ice have caused numerous fender-benders and stopped vehicles in their tracks.
Authorities say only minor injuries were reported. There is no word when the road will reopen.
Authorities are sending in snow plows and other vehicles to rescue motorists.
About 30 people have been taken to a casino and fire station that are serving as shelters.
Interstate 8 is the main East-West highway from San Diego east -- to the rest of the continent. It's no "mountain highway", and the pass at 4000 feet is significantly lower than a lot of interstate highway passes in California. I took the kids on a drive on 8 last week after dropping Eric off at the airport, out to the Anza Borrego Desert. It's about 15 miles east of our campground.
The storm was a freak - no one predicted more than a few fog-produced drizzles, and yet, for three hours, we experienced rapidly dropping temperatures and torrential downpours. Torrential. We watched the snowline drop on weather.com, as the entire region east of us turned from green to pink on the radar within an hour. Today, the sun was back out, temps up to 60, though a frost warning has been issued for tonight. Just freaky weather all around.
