Snow Francisco

While it rarely rarely snows here, after my Northwestern Exposure and my Colorado experience, winter without snow doesn't feel right. Even though I've experienced many more winters without snow than with snow (and those Portland ice storms do not count), and I was 19 the first time I saw snow fall, snowless winters feel unusual.


When I was in third grade, there was a big storm one night and in the morning there was snow! By then we'd all been to Tahoe a few times, so we knew snow, but everyone knows "it never snows in San Francisco!" All of the kids in the neighborhood played hooky (even the ones too little for school), and one or two of the moms took us to Buena Vista Park to play on the slopy hills in the park. As we arrived at the park, we saw our classmates walking up from the school with our teachers. We all played in the snow for awhile and as it was disappearing from the heat of the action (literally), J Jump Joyful's mom suggested we go to higher ground.


I don't remember where we went exactly. I remember that it was Mount Tamalpais in Marin, but it seems more likely that we went to Twin Peaks. Twin Peaks is much closer to the old neighborhood, but Mt. Tam is much higher and not as full of tourists.



One of the first few Christmastimes I was back in California, Dnever D and I were at Mom's for an early Christmas with Mom, No, and KT, who were going to be with KT's family for Christmas proper. Denver D was there, so it would have been 1999 I think. I don't remember a big storm, but it was raining, and at some point I looked out the window and the rain had turned to snow. We all watched it fall, and watched cars drive uncertainly up the street.


The snow didn't last long, but did cause Mom, No, and me to launch into the story of the day there was snow in The City for Denver D and KT.