Summer rain, snow make way to the Northern California Sierra Foothills
EL DORADO COUNTY — Summer isn't over yet, but parts of Northern California had an early taste of fall with scattered showers and the possibility of snow in the Sierra Foothills.
"I like the seasons, yeah. It's time to get colder," Dave Parks, a Gardnerville resident, said.
Parks was passing through Fresh Pond on his way back home. He said he welcomes the cooler temperatures, but his crops might not.
"Last year, it froze in early September. Lost my tomatoes," Parks said.
Kayln Gray works at the Chevron gas station in Fresh Pond and said that this time of year is the post-summer slow down.
"A couple of people still fishing since it's like the perfect time right now but not that many people going up. Mainly, [there are] people going up to check up on their cabins," Gray said.
David Schlosser, the owner of the Strawberry Station General Store, said they also slow down this time of year but not as much as others.
"For us here in Strawberry, we have the climbing area, Lovers Leap, so this is prime climbing season so we don't lose those customers," Schlosser said.
Gray said that once winter hits full swing, the Chevron becomes a popular gas station for people heading to Lake Tahoe.
"This is like the sweet spot, especially with the hill up there, and this is just a good spot to estimate what Tahoe is going to look like before you start heading up to the storm," Gray said.
Schlosser said that although business slows downs a tad in October, it's short-lived before the skiing and snowboarding season returns.
"It is a transition time for us but we look forward to kind of calming down. The summers get a little chaotic when you can't even cross the street, and soon it will be chaotic again," Schlosser said.