Photos and story by Jeanie Mills
Story originally ran Dec. 3, 1981
The first snowstorm of the season Thanksgiving weekend caused only minor problems for Hill residents and left mountain peaks, trees and rooftops covered with snow.
A total of 10 inches of snow was recorded at the Pine Cove County Fire Station during the weekend. About 3 inches of snow was recorded in Pine Cove Thanksgiving Day. An additional 2 inches was measured Friday, Nov. 27, and 2 1/2 inches were measured Saturday, Nov. 28, and Sunday, Nov. 29, according to Dick Coyle, PCCFD captain.
At the Idyllwild Fire Station, traces of snow, mixed with rain, began falling Thanksgiving Day, but it was not until Saturday, Nov. 28, that measurable snow was recorded, according to Fire Chief Bud Hunt. Then, 1 1/2 inches of snow was measured. Throughout the weekend 1.64 inches of precipitation was recorded.
Because temperatures dropped into the 20s at night, mountain roads were icy. This caused several minor accidents on the Hill.
Power was cut to Pine Cove residents for about six hours and then again Saturday morning for a couple of hours because of the storm, according to A.E. Sandell, an official with Southern California Edison.
Power went out at about 5:30 Friday night from the Singingwood Motel at Alandale for almost six hours. Then again the power was out for about two hours Saturday beginning at 7 a.m.
The storms dumped about 8 inches of snow at Long Valley near the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway at the 8,400-foot level.
A foot of snow was recorded at Round Valley at the 9,100-foot level and 2 1/2 feet of snow was recorded at the 10,804 foot San Jacinto Peak, according to State Park officials.
The winner of the Idyllwild Snow-Guessing Contest was 12-year-old Richard Mitchell.