Snowfall in Santa Barbara! This rare occurrence only happens a few times in a lifetime! Here are my pictures!
My wife and I walked out of our Goleta condo to some magnificent views of snow. Here was the view from our street, by Albertson’s. 
And my wife posed nearby in the parking lot of Camino Real Marketplace. 
I decided to drive up into the mountains to see how far I could get. I was pleasantly surprised to head up Painted Cave Road with no signs of closure and not much traffic. Until I got all the way up to Camino Cielo, where it got a big slow. But it was a nice break just before the top, as children playfully threw snowballs at me. 
I later discovered that the girl is the grandchild of a friend’s companion.
It was not too difficult to find a safe parking spot along the road. The roads were clear of snow and ice. 
Some cars had snow on them, but I am not exactly sure why! 
This father was clearly happy to have fun with his son in this unexpected winter wonderland. 
Some people hiked up a bit to explore this new landscape. 
I grew up in cold, snowy places back East and in Europe. I even took my first driving test in the snow. But it was still a rare treat for me to enjoy it here at home in Santa Barbara. 
Kids were having fun sliding down the hills and making snowmen. 
At this point, the snow actually started to fall!
I decided to head out at this point as my camera was starting to get wet and more people were arriving. 
I headed back along Camino Cielo to 154. A bit of traffic, but nothing terrible. I was surprised to see a “Road Closed” sign for people coming the other way, entering on Camino Cielo, near Painted Cave Road. The roads were in perfectly good condition and clear of treacherous snow and ice.
Can roads in California get closed due to plenty of snow? While it’s fun and safe, people are not allowed to have a good time. However, there can be some traffic hassles. This is a rare experience in our area. Most people in our community do not have the resources to travel to faraway ski resorts.
This undermines credibility. It is close to dishonest for road sections like these. I might even want to limit traffic if they wanted to. If authorities want to, it’s okay to post warning signs.
I will note that the car had a real problem, and it went off the road near Foothill Road on the 154. The road was open and a bit shaken, but two young women who looked okay were speculating from how the perfectly clear road went off.
We already have a credibility crisis with the way we illegally block the right of the public to access private property. Despite having the means to use heavy equipment to place boulders in the public right of way, many people are still willing to spend money to do so. How is it possible that ordinary people can be hit with large fines for playing in the snow? There seems to be no punishment or fine whatsoever, and these boulders have been blocking the public right of way for two whole years without any consequences!
To cite Cat Stevens: “Where can the kids frolic?”