Palm Springs Aerial Tramway gets fresh snowfall

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway's Mountain Station is a winter wonderland with Tuesday's storm ending the Tramway's Annual Snow Guessing Contest.

The contest consisted of people sending in postcards to the Tramway predicting the first measurable one inch of snow at the Tramway’s Mountain Station.

The Mountain Station had eight to nine inches of snow and some areas on Mount San Jacinto had up to a foot and a half. 

Visitors were building snowmen, throwing snowballs, and going snowshoeing. Valley resident Betsy Karr took advantage of the fresh powder by hitting the trails.

"The conditions are perfect. There's a lot of fresh powder on the trail. I came prepared because there are several inches of snow out there, so to avoid sinking, I brought snowshoes," said Karr. "It's very nice. The air is crisp. The sun is shining, the sky is clear."

She said it's an opportunity to enjoy the snow without the hassle.

"It's fantastic. You don't have to shovel snow out of your driveway. You don't have to drive. You don't have to bring chains," said Karr. "You just hop on the tram and take it up and in 10 minutes you're at the top of the mountain."

Patrick Ghougassian lives in the Coachella Valley and wanted to make sure he could be a part of the winter wonderland.

"Everything is just- it's just magical," said Ghougassian. "It's mind-boggling. You know, I don't understand how it's a desert down there and it's alpine forest up here. You just can't wrap your head around it. It's just amazing.

Some visitors made their way from different states to take in the mountain's scenic views. Gissel Marquez made the trip from Phoenix. She got the chance to explore the surrounding trails and even saw some of the wildlife. 

"So it was definitely like a big change you know, going from down there to up here. Like down there it's not like this," said Marquez. "We're above everything. It's white. It's beautiful."

If you're interested in visiting the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, you can find ticket information on their website.