Snow Caps Santa Ynez Valley Hills but Only Briefly

The light snow on top of San Marcos Pass melted quickly in most areas, but patches of ice and some white remnants of the slush remained behind by mid day today.

A road closed sign was up on East Camino Cielo and Painted Cave Rd. Around the bend some “black ice” made the asphalt slick in the shielded areas where the sun was not getting any rays to the ground. The snow was not enough to create a ball or have the typical fun associated with a cold winter storm full of flurries.

Temperatures were in the 30’s last night when a sneaker snow storm slid through. Tonight’s low will be in the 20’s but no moisture is in the forecast.

A group of campers loaded up with firewood to make sure their site is as comfortable as possible, but they were looking forward to the New Year in the open space of the Paradise campground off San Marcos Pass.

Two were from Chicago and one was from Wisconsin. All said the cold here was mild compared to what they experience back home.

(video will be added to this story later)