Winter storm drops rain, snow on Lode

Jack Lehman, of San Carlos, sat in his pontoon boat in the middle of Pinecrest Lake and spent Saturday fly-fishing. Maggie Beck/Union Democrat

The storm produced about 0.45 inches of rain for Angels Camp and 0.88 inches for Sonora — short of what weather forecasters had anticipated.

“It poured really hard for a while,” said Jay Quick, of Angels Camp, “but then it just stopped. I thought we would get over an inch of rain, but we only got 0.45 inch. I hope it dumped snow up the hill to bring in the tourists.”
   

Snow in the high country Friday night was moderate — mostly providing a base to build upon.

“We got 6 inches,” said David Johnston, of Bear Valley General Store off Highway 4. “At least it looks like winter, but it’s not enough for the slopes to open just yet.”

Dodge Ridge, off Highway 108 in Tuolumne County, got 4 to 5 inches, which is about what was expected. The snow began around 3 p.m. Friday.

Snow fell as low as Twain Harte in Tuolumne County and below Arnold in Calaveras County, but skies cleared very early Saturday morning.

About 4 inches fell at Dardanelle Resort along Highway 108 in the high country.

“It’s a start,” said Chuck Fleischer, who owns the resort with his wife, Cindy. “But we need a couple feet of snow to really get going.”

Dardanelle is above Sno-Park, where Highway 108 eventually closes for the winter. The resort remains open all winter for the 100 or more snowmobilers who venture past the closure gate each weekend.

The highway is now open beyond the resort, but closed east of Kennedy Meadows.   

“It’s a beautiful ride now,” Fleischer said, “but it’s pretty quiet.”

He said not many people venture into the high country this time of year, after the highway is closed over Sonora pass but before snowmobile season.

The National Weather Service forecast is for clear skies through Thanksgiving, with highs in the 60s on Thanksgiving Day.