Does It Snow In Los Angeles?
Wondering if it snows in Los Angeles?
The answer is sort of.
Elevations in the city limits of Los Angeles range from 0 – 1,200 feet and due to its coastal and Southern location, temperatures rarely reach snowfall levels.
An accumulation of snow does not really occur in this area, but nearby in Malibu, there was a dusting of snow back in 2007.
Just as recently as February 2023, there was a major dusting of snow all throughout the area.
Other nearby towns such as Altadena also see small amounts of snow every handful of years.
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Does it snow in Los Angeles?
In 2019, several areas around Los Angeles experienced a light snow dusting including Malibu, West Hollywood, Northridge, Westlake Village, Calabasas, Thousand Oaks, Pasadena, and Eagle Rock.
More recently, in February 2023, the Greater Los Angeles area experienced snowfall amongst most of the mountain ranges in the area.
Has it ever snowed in Los Angeles?
Yes!
Just since 2000, it has snowed 4 times in Los Angeles.
It’s a very light dusting that melts away almost instantly, so you won’t ever see an accumulation of snow in the city limits.
According to the almanac, there are a couple of snowfall records in Los Angeles.
In a 24 hour period, the most snowfall ever in Los Angeles was 2.0 inches and this occurred back on January 15, 1932.
Additionally, in 1 month, the most snowfall ever in Los Angeles was 2.0 inches and this was also from that same snowfall in January 1932.
Some trace snowfall occurrences happened in 1882, 1913, 1918, 1919, 1922, 1935, 1939, 1942, 1947, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1957, 1962, 1987, 1989, 2007, and 2023 according to the National Weather Service.
Additionally, a few years have had a measurable amount of snow including the snowfall of 1932 I mentioned above, and 0.3 inches in 1949, 0.2 inches in 1950, and 0.3 inches in 1954.
However, in the nearby mountain regions, you can see plenty of snow in the Winter.
In February 2023, there was a rare snowfall occurrence in lower elevations than we normally don’t see.
Here are some photos of that most recent snowfall.
Why doesn’t Los Angeles get snow?
Generally the temperatures stay above 48 degrees, so it doesn’t get cold enough for it to snow.
The climate in Los Angeles is most similar to the Mediterranean, so there is not usually too much variety in the weather.
This kind of climate doesn’t see extremes in weather like the Midwest or Canada tends to experience.
Where can I see snow in Los Angeles?
The nearby mountain towns get plenty of snow in the Winter months as early as October and as late as April.
Sometimes the snow is so plentiful it lasts well into Summer!
Because of this, there are so many ski resorts in the nearby mountain towns to really get the Winter feel you won’t get in the city.
Think places like Mount Baldy, Lake Arrowhead, Big Bear Lake, and more.
✅ Mount Baldy
Mount Baldy has a tubing park where you can take the Sugar Pine chairlift roundtrip for a 1 1/2 hour tubing session.
Mount Baldy is about 50 miles outside of Los Angeles and is about an hour and 45 minutes drive or longer depending on the area you’re driving from.
✅ Mount Wilson
The Mount Wilson Observatory is a free place to visit and hike.
It’s about 30 miles outside of Los Angeles, making it about an hour drive.
It has an elevation above 5,500 feet, so it will occasionally get some snow.
✅ Lake Arrowhead
Lake Arrowhead is a mountain town just a little further out than Mount Baldy.
It’s about 80 miles from Los Angeles and takes closer to 2 1/2 hours to drive there.
This is a great area if you’re going for the whole weekend or at least overnight.
✅ Frazier Park
Frazier Park is up past Santa Clarita, about 75 miles away.
It’s about an hour and a half drive from Los Angeles.
Being another mountain town, Frazier Park experiences its fair share of snow.
It’s also a great place to see the sky at night away from all the city lights.
✅ Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake is even further out, but still not too far.
It’s about 95 miles from Los Angeles and takes almost 3 hours to drive there.
We have a great Winter weekend itinerary for Big Bear Lake if you’re going for 2-3 days.
✅ Wrightwood
Wrightwood is another mountain town about 85 miles outside of Los Angeles and it’s about a 2 hour drive from the city.
It’s elevation around 6,000 feet allows for plentiful snowfall.
This town is actually so small it’s considered the “town without a traffic light”.
There’s plenty of skiing and hiking in this area.
Be sure to visit the Devil’s Punchbowl, a park full of colorful rocks.
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Snow Resorts Near Los Angeles
If you’re in the area and want to experience snow in the Winter months, you’re in luck!
There are plenty of resorts where you can go skiing, snowboarding, tubing, and more.
➡️ Mountain High Ski Resort
Mountain High East Ski Resort, located in the San Gabriel Mountains, has 5 ski lifts that will take you to slopes for a variety of skill levels.
The elevation here is mostly between 6,500 – 8,000 feet, which is why they get plentiful snow and Los Angeles does not.
➡️ Snow Summit Ski Resort
Snow Summit Ski Resort is roughly 100 miles outside of LA, in the San Bernardino Mountains.
There are 11 ski lifts that will take you to slopes for a variety of skill levels.
The elevation here is mostly between 7,000-8,000 feet, which is why they get plentiful snow and Los Angeles does not.
➡️ Snow Valley Mountain Ski Resort
Snow Valley Mountain Ski Resort is in the San Bernardino National Forest.
They have 13 ski lifts that take you to slopes for a variety of skill levels.
The elevation is mostly between 7,000 – 7,500 feet, which is why there is plentiful snow fall that Los Angeles does not get.
Other Winter Activities In Los Angeles
Even though you probably won’t experience any real snow in Los Angeles, there are still plenty of ways to enjoy Winter activities without leaving the city.
Check out our post on the best things to do in California in December for even more ideas.
Some of our favorite events have come and gone over the years like Malibu Lights: Winter Nights and Snow Day LA, but others have been around for over a decade and are still going strong!
❄️ Outdoor Ice Skating
The LA Kings Holiday Ice outdoor ice skating rink opens each Winter holiday season right in LA.
Not only is there ice skating, but there is also a light show!
❄️ Winter Fest OC
This drive-thru event is at the Orange County Fairgrounds and is as immersive as it gets.
There’s snow, food, drinks, photo ops, and of course, Santa!
❄️ LA Zoo Lights: Animals Aglow
Another great evening event for the holidays is checking out the Christmas lights at the LA Zoo.
There’s even a handful of animals that will still be out at night.
Conclusion: Does it snow in Los Angeles?
So as you now know, the answer is not really.
You may see some flurries, but it’s probably not going to stick.
And if it does stick it’s not going to be for very long.
Luckily, just an hour or two outside of the city are plenty of snow and ski resorts to get your Winter sports in.
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