At the start of 1952, a major blizzard shut down Interstate 40 (precursor to I-80) for 30 days straight, closing the sole transcontinental highway for a month, and stranding 226 passengers aboard a luxury train headed over the Sierra.
On December 30, 1856, a two and a half inch snowfall fell on The City. The Alta California reported: "The oldest inhabitant was about the streets yesterday, freely expressing his opinion that he had never seen such a day before in San Francisco."
