Snow Falls in Malibu as Storms Ease California Drought

Southern California welcomed rain this weekend — including a storm that brought a dusting of snow to Malibu, near Los Angeles — as the state hoped to emerge from a new drought.

A series of storms this weekend and over the next several days is expected to bring relief to Southern California, after a dry December and summerlike temperatures over the long Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend.

The Los Angeles Times reported on Saturday that locals were surprised and delighted by the snow along Malibu Canyon, a key artery connecting the coast to the San Fernando Valley:

A rare dusting of snow in Malibu on Saturday surprised locals, with some drivers so delighted they pulled over to frolic in the foreign whiteness.

Officer Stephan Brandt of the California Highway Patrol said shortly after 5 p.m. his department received a report of multiple drivers stopping and parking near the Malibu Canyon Tunnel.

“They were playing in the snow,” said Brandt, who advised such activities were “dangerous” and unwise.

Local KTLA-5 reported:

A second weather system will bring the possibility of additional rain along with mountain snow at lower elevations from Sunday night through Tuesday.

Forecasters warned that the storm could have a “major impact” on Monday and Tuesday,” bringing widespread rain and significant snow in the mountains.

The state depends on winter rainfall for its water supply, especially the snowpack at higher elevations, which melts throughout the spring and summer.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). His newest e-book is How Not to Be a Sh!thole Country: Lessons from South Africa. His recent book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.