A Southern California super bloom so prolific it could be seen from space has been killed off by a last gasp from old man winter.
While many of the spectacular species of wildflowers, from Arizona lupine to desert lilies, were already on the wane, a freak snowstorm that blew through the state on May 7 finished the job. In San Diego, the city recorded its coldest day in 64 years with a high of "only" 59 degrees. Nearby Palomar Mountain, where blooms were still heavy with color, recorded a record 10 inches of snowfall.
“This is basically a winter storm that happens to be occurring in May,” James Brotherton, a weather service forecaster, told the San Diego Tribune. “There’s snow in the mountains, rain everywhere else, and cold air.”
Sicco Rood, a research associate at the Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center, captured some photos Sunday on Cuyamaca Peak, which received an average of one foot of snow from the storm.
A scene of the unexpected winter wonderland on Cuyamaca Peak. (Photo: Sicco Rood/Anza-Borrego DRC)
A frozen bloom on Cuyamaca Peak. (Photo: Sicco Rood/Anza-Borrego DRC)
Some of the last portions of the California super bloom have been encased in ice. (Photo: Sicco Rood/Anza-Borrego DRC)
Some flowers managed to escape the brunt of the icy blast. (Photo: Sicco Rood/Anza-Borrego DRC)
Cuyamaca Peak in San Diego County received an average of 12 inches of fresh snow on May 7. (Photo: Sicco Rood/Anza-Borrego DRC)