Snow in LA? Closer look reveals icy aftermath of Southern California storms

Just two days after near-record heat across Los Angeles, thunderstorms rattled the city with ice and snow piling up in some nearby communities.

AccuWeather Global Weather Center – February 18, 2022 – Nearly a month had passed without a single raindrop falling on Los Angeles, but that rainless streak came to an end on Tuesday afternoon in grand fashion when thunderstorms rumbled over Southern California.

A sidewalk and part of a road in Los Angeles County were covered in hail on Tuesday evening. (Twitter/ Emily Velasco)

Residents were sent scrambling for cover when the rain hit, occurring just two days after an unseasonable warm spell sent temperatures into the 80s F. Only 0.06 of an inch of rain was measured in downtown Los Angeles, the first measurable rain since Jan. 17, but a much different story unfolded in neighboring Pasadena, which is just about 10 miles northeast of L.A.

Hailstones piled up on roads and yards across Pasadena late Tuesday afternoon with claps of thunder and flashes of lightning shocking residents. Some were so stunned by the white hailstones that they misinterpreted the hail as snow.

Snow in LA? Closer look reveals icy aftermath of Southern California storms (Full Story) >>

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While some residents watched in awe, others remained optimistic about the hail that was pelting Pasadena.

“Well, at least I don’t have to make ice,” one person remarked while watching hailstones hammer a nearby rooftop.