Shannon Kelly
News Editor
Chris Segal/Associate Editor
A six-day Southern California cold snap lured snowplows to Kanan Dume Road on Wednesday, which was closed for a short time around 2:30 p.m., to clear the ice-coated street. As soon as it reopened, however, after-school caravans followed.
“We’re wearing our ski jackets and mittens,” said 10-year Malibu resident Janice Nikora as her 8 and 9-year-old sons Jesse and Jason threw snowballs across Kanan Dume Road. As her boys marveled at the unfamiliar white stuff, another local youngster shouted, “It’s a miracle” from a car parked nearby.
Las Virgenes Water District employees Brett Vollmar and Rich McBroom parked their truck momentarily to take pictures of the layer of sleet and ice that coated hillsides and the road. “I’ve lived here pretty much all of my life and haven’t seen anything like this,” Vollmar said as his coworker prepared a snowball to throw at approaching 6-year old Rachel Witjas.
“This is her first time in the snow,” said her mother Jeanie Witjas who teaches Ballet and Modern Dance at Pepperdine. “My daughter is thrilled.”
Jeanie Leonardo bundled her children in warm layers as they piled out of the car. “This morning I heard my daughter say ‘God please let it drop 13 degrees so it can snow.’ Looks like she got her wish,” she said.
Snow and hail hit other areas of the Southland including parts of Los Angeles Country where the Interstate 5 was shut down at the Grapevine because of the icy weather conditions. The weather is also blamed for damage to California produce, which could suffer $1 billion losses.
Snowball fights are not in the forecast for today’s after-school activities as the weakening cold front is expected to move southeast overnight.
01-18-2007