Rare New Year's Snowstorm Remembered In Southwest Riverside County
SOUTHWEST RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — For those who remember New Year’s Day 10 years ago in Southwest Riverside County, what a wintry wonder it was. An extreme cold front blew on the night of Dec. 30, 2014, blanketing the region in heavy snow.
On New Year’s Eve and again on Jan. 1, 2015, homes, yards, vehicles and streets were buried in powder.
Kids poured outside for snowball fights and Boogie Board sledding, and residents uploaded beautiful photos to social media pages.
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Of course, it wasn’t all snow angels. Local church volunteers worked overtime to help shelter homeless residents. The rare storm left many residents and businesses without power, trees were downed, and agricultural concerns were raised.
About 50 motorists were stranded overnight on the Ortega Highway due to a shutdown caused by snow and ice. Roads in local foothill communities like De Luz and La Cresta were undrivable, so locals were truly snowed in.
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Still, the shared experience was a reason to come together. We all had stories to tell, and a general happiness pervaded the community, even if we were cold.
Above and below are memories of that great snowstorm. All the images were taken Dec. 31, 2014, through Jan. 1, 2015, on the Santa Rosa Plateau in unincorporated Murrieta.
Here’s looking to a happy 2025.
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