Julian Drew Massive Crowds, Snow Lasted Sunday in Country Estates

Heavy traffic flowed up the hill through Ramona on state Route 67/78 Sunday to Julian to visit the snow. Julian was only accessible via Ramona because parts of state Route 79 and Sunrise Highway were closed so snow plows could clear them. The California Highway Patrol required motorists to use chains through the mountains due to icy roads.

A traffic jam in the Julian area ensued.

A Julian resident measured 18 inches of snow on Sunday, although official reports were closer to 6 inches.

Snow in San Diego county dropped as low as 1,000 feet, according to the National Weather Service. Mountains above 1,000 feet received 1 to 2 feet of snow, including Mount Laguna and Palomar Mountain, the Weather Service reported.

Mount Laguna had the highest recorded snow fall at about 26 inches.

In Ramona, a snowman in Ramona Oaks, created at midnight Saturday, was still standing Sunday. San Vicente Golf Course was white with a shallow snow fall by Sunday morning, but it melted by Sunday afternoon. The highest elevations in the San Diego Country Estates, Ramona Oaks, Barona Mesa areas received about 3 inches of snow.

City News Service contributed to this report.