Los Angeles Was Covered in Snow, Here Are 20 Vintage Photos of the Rare Snowfall in January 1949

Snowfall in Los Angeles was once a rare yet memorable event, with significant snowfalls occurring roughly every few years. However, 1949 marked one of the last major snowstorms, dumping nearly a foot of snow in some parts of the city. Smaller snowfalls followed in 1957 and 1962, but since then, not a single flake has fallen, making it increasingly unlikely that L.A. will see snow again.

In 1999, marking the 50th anniversary of the 1949 snowstorm, Los Angeles Times columnist Cecilia Rasmussen reflected on that extraordinary day. On January 10, 1949, Los Angeles, in the midst of a severe housing shortage, was covered by over half an inch of snow at the Civic Center, while the San Fernando Valley was blanketed in nearly a foot of snow over three days. The Rose Bowl was likened to “a dishpan full of milk,” and the spectacle inspired quirky scenes, such as a snowman in Eagle Rock sporting a sombrero and a hardware store in Alhambra advertising snow plows for rent. Reno, Nevada even sent L.A. a snow shovel as a gesture of camaraderie.

Across the city, Angelenos abandoned their warm-weather gear for winter attire as they scraped ice off their windshields and navigated the city’s icy streets. The snow offered both joy and challenges: motorists dealt with frozen radiators, some finding themselves stranded, including crooner Bing Crosby, whose green Cadillac froze near Castroville.

For many, the snowfall brought spontaneous fun—sledding, snowball fights, and using any available means to traverse the sugary snow that fell even as far as Catalina Island. But not all play was harmless. A group of teenage boys, throwing snowballs at a streetcar on Washington Boulevard, ended up breaking a window and injuring a passenger, adding an unexpected twist to the city’s winter wonderland.

While we won’t be sitting around waiting for a blizzard to show up on the forecast, we can at least appreciate these images that show us just what a snow-covered city looked like in 1949:

Cars line up on Sepulveda Boulevard in Sherman Oaks while waiting for ice to melt before driving over a hill to the Beverly Hills area on January 12, 1949. Cars with chains were allowed through. At noon the road was opened. (Los Angeles Times)

An automobile parked near the Rose Bowl at Linda Vista Avenue and Lida Street sits covered with snow. (Al Humphreys / Los Angeles Times)

Patricia and James Perkins of Riverside, like most members of a new generation, see snow for the first time. (Los Angeles Times)

Snow covered a home on Opechee Way in the Verdugo Woodlands area of North Glendale. (Los Angeles Times)

Mrs. and Mr. Harvey Tibbals put the finishing touches on a snowman outside their La Crescenta Avenue home in Montrose. (Los Angeles Times)

Women rolling a giant snowball in a front yard in Bel-Air. (Clay Willcockson / Los Angeles Times)

Snow falls on Santa Barbara Avenue near Crenshaw Boulevard in South Los Angeles. In 1983, Santa Barbara Avenue was renamed Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. (Frank Brown / Los Angeles Times)

Ice on Gilmore Street in Van Nuys forced vehicles to travel at a crawl. (Los Angeles Times)

Man in Riverside examines snow on citrus trees on January 10, 1949. (Los Angeles Times)

A snowed-under walnut orchard on North Hazeltine Avenue in Van Nuys takes on a New England look. (Los Angeles Times)

A veritable wonderland greeted residents of Glendale early January 11, 1949, when they looked out windows and wondered what happened. (Los Angeles Public Library)