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Snow falls at sea level in Northern California, dusting beach in latest storm

The last time Humboldt County beaches saw snow was during the winter of 2002-03, said Brad Charboneau, a meteorologist with the weather service.

TRUCKEE, Calif. (AP) — The latest in a series of storms dusted Northern California beaches with snow and caused whiteout conditions on mountain roads, closing a major highway.

A stretch of Interstate 80, a key route through the Sierra Nevada to Lake Tahoe, was closed Saturday because of heavy snow and strong winds. Officials hoped to reopen it later Sunday.

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The National Weather Service office in Eureka reported rare accumulating snow at sea level. 

The last time Humboldt County beaches saw snow was during the winter of 2002-03, said Brad Charboneau, a meteorologist with the weather service.

"It's pretty unusual to reach the ground and accumulate," he said.

KRCR News Director Scott Rates shared the below video with ABC10.

Snow has stuck on the ground at sea level 28 times in the past 130 years, according to historical records cited by the San Francisco Chronicle. It has fallen and not accumulated an additional 19 times.

The system in the north was dissipating by midday.

Meanwhile scattered showers and snow at elevations as low as 3,500 feet (1,066 meters) were predicted for Southern California. Motorists were urged to use caution on mountain passes.

Another storm is predicted to hit the greater Los Angeles area by midweek.

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WATCH MORE: Snow in Cedar Grove | RAW

ABC10's Daniela Pardo and Julian Paredes were in Cedar Grove Sunday, where snow accumulation was beyond impressive. As of 1 p.m. I-80 remains closed in both directions from Colfax to the Nevada state line. Caltrans expects lanes to open between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday.

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