March 24, 2006

Winter wonderland

The winter of 2006 is going out with a bang and will be remembered for years to come for its freezing cold nights and mornings featuring a valley surrounded by snow-capped mountains. After all, how often is it that we see snow on nearby beaches, much less slowing down traffic on Highway 280 or bringing traffic to a halt on Highway 17? The novelty of hailstorms and fluffy snow allows us to slow down our busy Silicon Valley lives and appreciate the beauty of nature. Jeff Phillips took these surreal photographs of snow-covered sand on an Aptos Beach early on Saturday morning, March 11. And, Times photographer Jeff Frazee captured the quiet beauty of a snow day on Mt. Hamilton last Friday.

This seagull seems to be taking a double take as the snow-dusted sand meets the ocean on a beach in Aptos last Saturday. Photos by Jeff Phillips.
Overnight snowfall makes already dangerous Mt. Hamilton Road even more difficult to navigate. March 11, 2006. Photo by Jeff Frazee	Faber Johnston walks through the early morning snow on his property off of Mt. Pleasant Road, minutes from downtown San Jose. March 11, 2006. Photo by Jeff Frazee

Charlie Dickerson wipes out as she sleds down the snow-covered hills on her family’s property off Mt. Hamilton Road, just minutes from downtown San Jose, Calif. March 11, 2006. Photos by Jeff Frazee	Snow blankets Mt. Hamilton road in San Jose, Calif. It is very rare to have snow at such low elevations (1,000 feet) in San Jose. Photo by Jeff Frazee