Tracing Glendale’s Past: The Snow Covered Palm Trees of 1949
Snow in Glendale, 1949
Brand Library & Art Center, January 10, 1949
Snow!
Snow in Southern California is so uncommon that people tend to casually rattle off the years that we were blanketed in snow. 1918, 1922, 1939, 1954, 1974—Snow in L.A. County is treated like a novelty instead of the seasonal obtrusion it is farther east. And while the record snowfall belongs to 1932 (two inches!), one of the more picturesque snowfalls occurred on Monday, January 10th, 1949.
The week previous, temperatures in Los Angeles plummeted as low as 28 degrees in the dawn hours, and only rose to about forty degrees or so by the 9th, when little white specks of snow started falling in the semitropical region. About a foot of snow blanketed some areas of Los Angeles in winter wonder, while others had to make do with several inches.
The stories from Angelenos and other SoCal residents ranged from chaotic and inconvenient to chaotic and fun. While work commuters were frustrated by the closure of many roads due to the icy conditions (Angelus Crest Highway AND Pacific Coast Highway closed), it would be incorrect to say that the wintertime fun was only being had by children. As journalist and historian Cecilia Rasmussen wrote for the L.A. Times in 1999 for the 50th anniversary of this joyous streak of snow,
The San Fernando Valley was pelted with the unfamiliar white stuff for three days, accumulating almost a foot. The Rose Bowl was transformed into "a dishpan full of milk," by one account. An Alhambra hardware store put up a sign that said, "Snow Plows for Rent — Hurry!" A snowman appeared in Eagle Rock, wearing a sombrero, and the city of Reno, Nev., sent L.A. a snow shovel.
Residents of all ages took to sledding, tubing and skiing down driveways and lawn inclines. It was reported that there was fine skiing to be had at the Altadena Golf Course where nine inches of snow fell. Families built snowmen together, while children in Newhall were graced with a week off from school due to the anomalous weather. Snow rested on the tops of palm trees, movie studios, mom and pop shops, and the roofs of homes, rich and poor alike. The fun ended on January 12th, but thanks to online photo collections we’re able to romanticize a snowy winter in Los Angeles.
Snow at Grand Central Airport, 1949
More Snow!
CALISPHERE your gateway to digital collections from California's great libraries, archives, and museums. Discover over 2,000,000 images, texts, and recordings.
LAPL Digital Photo Collection - A search for snow in 1949, you can browse rare and historical collections from Los Angeles Public Library. These collections include items that reflect our local history, as well as other rare, unique, and valuable items held by the library.
Los Angeles Water and Power Associates - virtual history museum with 14,000 photo images including descriptions and historical notes that show the roles of both water and electricity played in the development and growth of Los Angeles as well as preserving the City's rich and diverse multicultural history.
Check out historic coverage of past events from the Los Angeles Times (1881 - 1993) - ProQuest Historical Newspapers:
Snow falls for third night, tangling southland traffic: Mountain areas isolated with steep grades iced MORE SNOW FALLS. (1949, Jan 12). Los Angeles Times (1923-1995)
Miles, M. (1949, Jan 12). FANTASTIC VIEW FROM AIR: IT COULDN'T BE TRUE--BUT THERE'S THE SNOW. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995)
Rasmussen, C. (1999, Jan 10). L.A. THEN AND NOW; 50 years ago, the snowman socked L.A.: [home edition]. Los Angeles Times
KCET, Why Doesn't It Snow in L.A. Anymore?
PBS SoCal: Climate Change, the Facts