Snow at or near sea level is a relatively rare occurrence along the California coast. In low elevations, copious moisture flooded portions of Southern California with as much as half a year's worth of rain in days while easing drought conditions across the state.
Equating California's climate with its sunny southern region, you might think it does not snow. Not quite! The western fronts of the mountain ranges, notably the Sierra Nevada, receive heavy snowfall during the winter. However, to the south, snowfall happens rarely or in negligible amounts.
Yes! Just since 2000, it has snowed 4 times in Los Angeles. It's a very light dusting that melts away almost instantly, so you won't ever see an accumulation of snow in the city limits. According to the almanac, there are a couple of snowfall records in Los Angeles.
The average winter temperature in California is between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 15 Celsius), with the climate growing colder the farther north you go.
Of course, snowfall has always been relatively unusual on the coastal lowlands of Southern California (or at least it has been since the dawn of the Holocene). “Because of our proximity to the Pacific,” Patzert said, “below-freezing temperatures are very rare. Our Mediterranean climate makes us mellow meteorologically.
There are plenty of places to enjoy snow in Australia – some of the major destinations include the peaks of the Australian Alps like Perisher, Thredbo, Charlotte Pass, Mt Hotham, Falls Creek, Mt Buller, Selwyn, and Mt Baw Baw.
Where Has It Never Snowed In the U.S.? Extreme South Florida: Within the “Sunshine State,” no city south of Homestead has ever observed snow. Florida's low latitude and low elevation mean temperatures rarely get cold enough for snow to fall, let alone accumulate on the ground.
Weather & Seasons
Much of California has a Mediterranean-like climate with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. On the coast, the average daily high temperature hovers around 70°F and up, but can occasionally spike to 80°F or more on hottest summer days; freezing temperatures are rare, even in winter.
Winter days in Los Angeles (between December and March) are rarely very cold. Between December and January, cold winds can cause night temperatures to approach 32°, but daytime temperatures rarely drop below 45-46°.
While there is a great increase in rainfall in the winter months, the winter months in Los Angeles are still frequently sunny and pleasant with mild -to-warm temperatures. The average highs range from the upper 60's F to lower 70's F (17-21 C) with cooler overnight lows in the upper 40's and lower 50's F (8-12 C).
Normally, snow is a rare occurrence in Las Vegas, with the National Weather Service reporting an average of 0.3 inches per year in the mountain valley. Of course, most snowfall occurs higher up in the mountains that surround the city, rather than in Las Vegas itself.
Does it snow during winter in Sydney? Snow in Sydney is extremely rare. Jindabyne is the gateway to the Snowy Mountains and is a 6 hour drive south of Sydney. Snow can also fall in regional parts of New South Wales including the Blue Mountains, Orange and the Upper Hunter.
While Hawaii gets snow, it doesn't happen often. What is this? Averaging about once a year, the peaks of Haleakala, Mauna Kea, and Mauna Loa experience the most snowfalls. Haleakala is located on Maui (my favorite island) and Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa are located on the Big Island.
Additionally, snow regularly falls in the Atlas Mountains in the Maghreb, as well as the Mediterranean regions and Sinai peninsula of Egypt. Snowfall is also a regular occurrence at Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
The archives reveal that while snow has fallen in the city many times, it's only actually settled in downtown San Francisco fives times: December 1882, February 1887, February 1951, January 1962 and, most recently, Feb. 5, 1976.
During the winter, Las Vegas weather tends to bring temperatures that may drop into the 30s F (-1 C) at night but manage to hover around the upper-50s (10 C) to low 60s (15 C) during the day. If you're trying to avoid the winter shoveling of snow, Las Vegas rarely gets any of it.
Los Angeles County's coldest month is December when the average temperature overnight is 48.3°F. In August, the warmest month, the average day time temperature rises to 84.8°F.
Context. In California's Mediterranean climate, the lion's share of the precipitation that feeds our water supply falls in a short wet season between November and March – and it typically comes in a handful of intense storms.
Think dry, rocky, and dark-colored lands. In July 1913, observers in Furnace Creek, California—Death Valley—watched the thermometer reach 56.7°C (134°F) and declared it to be the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth.
By New England standards, lowland California has no winter, about six months of spring and six months of summer, the last month or two of which you might or might not see fit to call a sort of lackluster fall.
Using existing weather data, Bodie is officially the coldest spot in California, but colder temperatures do occur on the highest peaks of the Sierra Nevada and White mountains.
Alaska is the coldest state in the United States, with an annual average temperature of 30.7 Fº, and temperatures that can go as low as -80°F. It has some of the longest and coldest winters in North America due to its extreme northern location and lack of low-lying land and mountains.
Much like Florida, Hawaii's average yearly snowfall is non-existent. It also boasts highs in the 80s and lows in the upper 60s. Weather like this should certainly make you consider saying “Aloha” to Hawaii in the winter months.
Snow flurries are reported in the air as far south as Fort Pierce. December 25, 2004: Locations along the Florida Panhandle receive a dusting of snow. November 21, 2006: An eastward-moving weather system produces a very light dusting and snowflakes in central Florida.