Unusually cold storm that frosted West Coast peaks provided a hint of winter in August

Ski season is still at least several months away, but the unusually cold storm that frosted West Coast mountain peaks late last week brought a rare preview of winter in August. The calendar briefly skipped ahead to November as the system dropped out of the Gulf of Alaska, down through the Pacific Northwest and into California. Mount Rainier, southeast of Seattle, got a high-elevation dusting. Central Oregon’s Mt. Bachelor resort did, too. A spokesperson at the resort says it was exciting to see the flakes flying. Far northern California's Mount Shasta also wore a white blanket after the storm clouds passed, and the Yosemite high country received a dusting.