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LOS ANGELES - Snow fell briefly in normally sunny Malibu, and west Los Angeles saw hail today in the first sighting in 20 years of a white winter.
The mountains behind Malibu -- a celebrity enclave that hugs the Pacific Ocean -- got a dusting of snow that brought traffic chaos to a region where rainfall is usually headline local news.
Snow plows were sent out to clear a major road through the Malibu mountains and at least one car crashed, highway police said.
"I lived in Malibu in 1978 when snow fell," said California Highway Patrol officer Patrick Kimball.
Rain showers in unusually cold conditions turned to hail and sleet in parts of the beach city of Venice and in inland west Los Angeles, giving cars and rooftops a sprinkling of white.
In Valencia -- 48km north of Los Angeles downtown -- some residents rushed outside with video cameras to capture rare snowflakes descending on their gardens. Meteorologists said it was the first time in more than 20 years that snow had fallen there.
The unusual cold snap in the land of palm trees and blue skies followed several nights of freezing conditions in northern and central California that have caused $1 billion in losses among crops of oranges, strawberries and avocados.
- REUTERS
