Wildfires and Snowfall: California Experiences a Summer of Extreme Weather
California faces a summer marked by extremes, experiencing both wildfires and significant snowfall. The state grapples with the contrasting impacts of these natural phenomena, highlighting the challenges and unpredictability of its climate.
TroibNews 
An unusually cold weather system from the Gulf of Alaska disrupted summer along the West Coast on Saturday, delivering snow to California's mountains and the Pacific Northwest, leading to the closure of part of a highway through a national park.
In California, parts of Highway 89 in Lassen Volcanic National Park were shut down following an overnight snowfall of approximately 3 inches (7.6 centimeters), as reported by the National Weather Service.
Images shared by the agency and local officials displayed a snow-covered Mount Rainier in Washington, with a light dusting at Minaret Vista, a scenic viewpoint southeast of Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada.
Madera County Deputy Sheriff Larry Rich remarked on the unexpected snowfall at Minaret Vista during August, stating, "It's not every day you get to spend your birthday surrounded by a winter wonderland in the middle of summer. It made for a day I won't soon forget, and a unique reminder of why I love serving in this area. It's just one of those moments that makes working up here so special."
In northern Nevada, rain fell ahead of the annual Burning Man festival, causing organizers to close the entrance gate for most of Saturday before reopening it. Last year’s festival faced similar challenges with torrential rains that transformed the temporary city into a muddy mess.
Snow also fell overnight at Mammoth Mountain, a well-known ski destination in California, prompting the National Weather Service to caution hikers and campers about slick roads.
Record rainfall swept through regions such as Redding, Red Bluff, and Stockton in northern California on Saturday, with rain showers south of Lake Oroville predicted to persist into the evening.
A light layer of snow blanketed the Sierra Nevada's Tioga Pass, which had not seen August snow since 2003, according to forecasters. Rising above 9,900 feet (3,017 meters), Tioga Pass serves as the eastern route into Yosemite but is typically closed for extended periods each year due to winter snow that can take one to two months to clear.
Although the kickoff of ski season is still several months away, resorts are welcoming the signs of winter. "It's a cool and blustery August day here at Palisades Tahoe, as a storm that could bring our first snowfall of the season moves in this afternoon!" the resort noted in a social media post on Friday.
The National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, announced that the "anomalous cool conditions" would extend across much of the western U.S. by Sunday morning.
Despite the forecasted precipitation, forecasters cautioned about potential fire danger due to gusty winds accompanying the cold front's passage. At the same time, a flash flood watch was issued for California's largest wildfire burn scar from Friday morning through Saturday morning.
The Park Fire, which spread across over 671 square miles (1,748 square kilometers) after igniting in late July near Chico, has since been brought under control, but small patches of vegetation continue to burn within its perimeter. Evacuation orders have now been lifted, though the fire remains California's fourth-largest on record.
The state's wildfire season began fervently amid extreme July heat, with blazes fueled by dry vegetation resulting from consecutive wet years. However, fire activity has recently subsided.
Forecasts predict a quick return to summer heat as the cold front moves out.
(Cover: A coating of snow is seen below ski lifts at Sugar Bowl Ski Resort in Donner Summit, California, U.S., August 24, 2024. /AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
In California, parts of Highway 89 in Lassen Volcanic National Park were shut down following an overnight snowfall of approximately 3 inches (7.6 centimeters), as reported by the National Weather Service.
Images shared by the agency and local officials displayed a snow-covered Mount Rainier in Washington, with a light dusting at Minaret Vista, a scenic viewpoint southeast of Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada.
Madera County Deputy Sheriff Larry Rich remarked on the unexpected snowfall at Minaret Vista during August, stating, "It's not every day you get to spend your birthday surrounded by a winter wonderland in the middle of summer. It made for a day I won't soon forget, and a unique reminder of why I love serving in this area. It's just one of those moments that makes working up here so special."
In northern Nevada, rain fell ahead of the annual Burning Man festival, causing organizers to close the entrance gate for most of Saturday before reopening it. Last year’s festival faced similar challenges with torrential rains that transformed the temporary city into a muddy mess.
Snow also fell overnight at Mammoth Mountain, a well-known ski destination in California, prompting the National Weather Service to caution hikers and campers about slick roads.
Record rainfall swept through regions such as Redding, Red Bluff, and Stockton in northern California on Saturday, with rain showers south of Lake Oroville predicted to persist into the evening.
A light layer of snow blanketed the Sierra Nevada's Tioga Pass, which had not seen August snow since 2003, according to forecasters. Rising above 9,900 feet (3,017 meters), Tioga Pass serves as the eastern route into Yosemite but is typically closed for extended periods each year due to winter snow that can take one to two months to clear.
Although the kickoff of ski season is still several months away, resorts are welcoming the signs of winter. "It's a cool and blustery August day here at Palisades Tahoe, as a storm that could bring our first snowfall of the season moves in this afternoon!" the resort noted in a social media post on Friday.
The National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, announced that the "anomalous cool conditions" would extend across much of the western U.S. by Sunday morning.
Despite the forecasted precipitation, forecasters cautioned about potential fire danger due to gusty winds accompanying the cold front's passage. At the same time, a flash flood watch was issued for California's largest wildfire burn scar from Friday morning through Saturday morning.
The Park Fire, which spread across over 671 square miles (1,748 square kilometers) after igniting in late July near Chico, has since been brought under control, but small patches of vegetation continue to burn within its perimeter. Evacuation orders have now been lifted, though the fire remains California's fourth-largest on record.
The state's wildfire season began fervently amid extreme July heat, with blazes fueled by dry vegetation resulting from consecutive wet years. However, fire activity has recently subsided.
Forecasts predict a quick return to summer heat as the cold front moves out.
(Cover: A coating of snow is seen below ski lifts at Sugar Bowl Ski Resort in Donner Summit, California, U.S., August 24, 2024. /AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
