OUTSIDE: Snowball Fight

All of these rainy days, coupled with unusually chilly temperatures, make for some excellent soup weather – the kind of days you might want to stay inside – but conditions also mean a winter wonderland has been arriving all over California, with snowfall at lower elevations than is typical. Recent days saw drivers along Carmel Valley Road pulling over to play in the snow, with a series of snowmen perched on the roadside. While the most easily accessible snow at the lowest elevations is likely to melt during a sunny afternoon – and melting already began between storms on Sunday, Feb. 26, according to National Weather Service meteorologists – there is significant accumulation on the high peaks of the Gabilan and Santa Lucia mountains, meaning snow could stick around for a while, especially with continued cold in the forecast.

Getting to the snow level is more challenging the warmer it gets, especially with a forest-wide closure still in effect through March 14 for the Los Padres National Forest after January’s storm system. But Fremont Peak State Park (with its eponymous 3,169-foot peak) is a popular destination – use caution on the narrow, winding road to get up there – and ridges throughout Big Sur and Carmel Valley, including outside of the national forest boundary, are likely places to keep at least a dusting. Even if it’s not enough to build a proper snowman, it’s enough to play in the snow. [SR]