It came into the region with heavy rain and hail. Photos sent to ABC7 News through uReport show hail falling in a San Leandro neighborhood. By 2 a.m., hail speckled the landscape in Castro Valley.
The fast-moving storm also brought with it lightning and thunder, waking up people in San Francisco's Noe Valley. "It sounded like a big bomb going off, much louder than anything I'd ever heard, and I knew it had to be close," Julia Dawson said. "About 1 in the morning, I was up watching TV. There was a large flash followed by a sonic boom that shook my house and probably several others on the block. It was quite frightening," Steve Rosasco recalled.
That sound was from a lightning bolt that found ground in Noe Valley in the early morning hours. The bolt killed power to about 100 homes. Five transformers were knocked offline. "I think it actually hit the line that these transformers are on, took them all out," said Tony Damico with PG&E.
The storm also brought a light dusting of snow to the higher elevations. A little of bit of powder could still be seen on Mt. Diablo during daylight hours Friday evening. Pictures posted on uReport showed a heavier covering of snow on Mt. Hamilton. A newly-installed gate on the road leading to the observatory will be closed for safety when heavy snow falls on the mountain.
Heavy snow did fall in the Sierra Friday morning. Chains were required for all but four-wheel drive vehicles. AAA tow truck driver James Lemmi offered some sage advice for anyone planning a trip to the snow. "There's a layer of ice on this road right now... Just be careful. Go slow. Take it easy," he said.
Mt. Hamilton is expecting more snow Friday night. They say they will close the gate on Mt. Hamilton road if there is a significant amount of snow on the road. They also say they will cite vehicles parked along Mt. Hamilton Road or in the observatory parking lot.
