Light snow expected on Bay Area mountains as storm passes through California

By John S. Marshall, Associated Press

Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012 | 3:36 p.m.

SAN FRANCISCO — Thunderstorms, lightning, snow, massive waves and generally odd weather were all being reported across California as yet another storm moved through the region during the last weekend of the year.

In Northern California, a combination of cold temperatures and the moisture being carried by the latest storm dropped snow Saturday on some mountains in the San Francisco Bay area, the National Weather Service reported.

Outside of San Jose, cameras at the Lick Observatory, on the summit of 4,200-foot high Mount Hamilton, showed snow falling Saturday afternoon.

Snow was also reported on other area mountains, including across the Santa Cruz mountains and on Mt. Diablo, said National Weather Service meteorologist Steve Anderson.

"Pretty much everywhere above 2,500 has seen a dusting today," Anderson said Saturday.

Along the coast, the weather service issued a high surf advisory from Sonoma County south to the Central California coast, and with waves up to 22 feet, forecasters were warning people to be careful walking along area beaches.

"If you're at the beach, don't go close to the water and don't stand on edge of any cliffs," Anderson said.

The warning came after a man and boy fishing near the Golden Gate Bridge died Friday after being swept into the ocean by large waves.

The unstable air associated with Saturday's storm also churned up thunderstorms, including one storm that produced a waterspout off the coast of California's Big Sur area Saturday, Anderson said.

The waterspout was tracked by radar about 26 miles south of Carmel, but no damage or injuries were reported.

In Southern California, thunderstorms and lightning hit the region. A Delta Airlines passenger jet en route from Japan was struck by lightning as it approached Los Angeles International Airport. The plane landed without incident, an airport spokesman said.

Several lightning strikes were observed in West Los Angeles and Marina del Rey.

Also in Southern California, forecasters warned of potentially hazardous driving conditions on Interstate 5 through the Tejon Pass, about 70 miles north of Los Angeles, as light snow fell on the roadway.

In the Sierra Nevada, the ski resorts were off to a great start for the winter season after several snow feet of snow piled up from a series of earlier storms. Heavenly Mountain Ski resort near Lake Tahoe, reported on its website that nearly six feet of snow fell on the resort during the past week.