Fresh snowfall lined both sides of Deer Creek in Nevada City in December.Credit…Elias Funez/The Union, via Associated Press
A reader who moved from New York to the Bay Area emailed me recently, “The best part of winter in California is that there is no winter.”
For many of us, it seems, the absence of a dreary, earmuff-and-long-underwear-filled cold season is a point of pride, a time to feel especially smug about California’s temperate climate.
Take this postcard from 1905 published this week in The Los Angeles Times.
It depicts “Winter in California” with palm trees and blue skies. And in one corner, a glimpse of “back East” — a man bundled up and standing in knee-deep snow.
Yet winter here is more than just the lack of something unpleasant. There’s the lovely low angle of the sunlight, the sound of rain pattering on the roof, the beaches free of tourists and the abundance of citrus crops.
To celebrate the start of the season, you shared with me your favorite things about winter in the Golden State:
“For those of us living on the Central Coast, the best thing about winter is the sun setting over the water. Whether the sky is cloudy or clear, the sunsets are spectacular. My neighbor and I laugh at ourselves for taking photos night after night — as though we were never going to see another one.” — Lise Peterson, Aptos
“I am a secondary teacher in L.A. Originally being from Ohio, I am always fascinated and entertained by students’ reactions to ‘winter weather.’
A student who got wet from the rain: ‘Ms., can I go home and change clothes?’
When I ask them to take off their sweatshirt hoods: ‘But Ms., it’s COLD!’
Not to mention that they try to run and slide by their shoes on the wet concrete in our quad, apparently without fear of falling.
Nonetheless, being so used to warm weather, most of my students have reported winter as their favorite season.” — Hanna Hixson, Los Angeles
“Winter in California is when we get our rain. The rain brings us water, of course, and we are always grateful for every drop that comes.
But for me, the best part of a rainstorm is the day after. The day after is cool but not cold and there is usually a breeze. The clouds drift by in a sky that is bluer than blue. The air is magical — it is cool and moist and carries a scent of trees, loam and grass. The rain has washed away the dust and grime so everything sparkles.
When I return home for some tea or cocoa, I realize that I truly live in heaven.” — Evelyn Harris, Mendocino
“I spent the first 30 years of my life on the East Coast, where winters meant six months of desolate gray deadness and bone-aching immobilizing cold. Winters for me now in the Bay Area are the lush verdant greenness like that of East Coast springtimes.
Our winter’s green hills, blue skies and sunshine all but cure my winter blues.” — Julie McPherson, Pleasant Hill
“The best part of winter in California is the ability, within the same day, to go to the beach, then bundle up and drive 45 minutes to the local snow. If you’re really ambitious, you can start or end the day with a meal across the border in Mexico.” — Shannon Williams-Morris, San Diego
“I like being in the backcountry when it snows. I wander around and take countless pictures of monochromatic landscapes, imprints in the snow revealing each step I take. I hear the wind whisper in trees far away as it sweeps down the canyon, blowing white magic between land and sky, and carrying hints of my children’s laughter to me. Yet another one of winter’s countless gifts.
The fire crackles and sizzles when we come inside and shed our winter clothes. We’re welcomed by the aroma of the wood stove mingling with bread baking in the oven. The silence of snow falling resonates as night falls, and we eat warm meals, play games and fall asleep knowing we’ll wake up and do it all again.” — Lindsey Nieman, Truckee
For more:
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Winter TV: 20 shows you might not know already.
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The Los Angeles Times’s travel section compiled a list of the best places to visit this winter.
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Sixteen things to do during winter in Los Angeles, from TimeOut.
The latest on Omicron and the pandemic
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Angelenos can pick up free at-home coronavirus tests at 13 sites around the county, LAWeekly reports.
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California hospitals predict the current Covid-19 crisis will last another four to six weeks, CalMatters reports.
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Parents of young children face another year of uncertainty and work-life imbalance.
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Check case rates in your area.
The rest of the news
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Super Bowl stays put: N.F.L. officials say the Super Bowl, just one month away, will still take place in Inglewood despite a rise in coronavirus cases, The Associated Press reports.
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Sirhan Sirhan: Gov. Gavin Newsom has denied parole to the man convicted of assassinating Robert F. Kennedy.
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Mental health curriculum: A state law that went into effect Jan. 1 requires all school districts that offer health classes to include mental health as part of the curriculum, KQED reports.
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Tech companies: Newsom solicited donations totaling nearly $227 million from Facebook, Google, Blue Shield and other private California companies, The Associated Press reports.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
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House fire: A blaze at the San Diego home of two Democratic politicians is being treated as suspicious by the police, The Guardian reports.
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Burned cars: An arson team is investigating after several cars and a carport were destroyed in a fire in Santa Clarita on Thursday, KTLA5 reports.
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Rocket launch: A Virgin Orbit rocket released from a jet flying off the California coast carried seven small satellites into space on Thursday, The Associated Press reports.
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
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Mysterious deaths: The mother of three children found dead inside a Merced County home has been charged with murder, The Associated Press reports.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
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Pacific newts: Cars are annihilating the tiny amphibians, but can citizen scientists prevent another massacre? Atlas Obscura reports.
What we’re eating
Sautéed scallops with crushed peppercorns.
Where we’re traveling
Today’s travel tip comes from Carol Marsh, a reader who lives in Missoula, Mont. Carol recommends Muir Woods:
Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to [email protected]. We’ll be sharing more in upcoming editions of the newsletter.
What we’re recommending
The 50 best movies on Netflix right now.
Tell us
Health workers: How are you coping with Omicron?
And before you go, some good news
Craving Thin Mints? Maybe some Samoas?
This year, you can order Girl Scout cookies to be immediately delivered to your door, KTLA5 reports. The new option comes as the Girl Scouts debut two new cookie flavors.
Enjoy!
Thanks for reading. We’ll be off Monday because of Martin Luther King’s Birthday. See you Tuesday. — Soumya
P.S. Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: “Hush, you!” (5 letters).
Jonah Candelario, Steven Moity and Mariel Wamsley contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at [email protected].
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