Locals, tourists escape rain for Palm Springs Aerial Tramway snow

As half an inch of rain is set to hit the Coachella Valley floor, residents and tourists are escaping the wet weather for a winter wonderland at Mount San Jacinto State Park.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway camera shows snow topping the mountain's trees, as the state park is expected to receive 18 inches within 24 hours.

The weather is bringing locals and visitors to the mountain, some who were surprised by the wet Southern California conditions.

"A lot of people will come to Palm Springs for sunshine. So when it starts to snow and get a little rainy, we'll get more locals. Then we'll get out of town visitors. But we'll also get people from Riverside Area, L.A., San Diego," Madison Morgan with the tramway said.

For some, it's their first time on the mountain.

"Well, we didn't really know it was going to be snowing. I had tried to plan something for Valentine's Day and they were booked for tomorrow, but I thought, okay, the day before Valentine's Day would be good. So it just happens to be snowing, which is fantastic," Jeff Lipa and Amanda Boyington said.

The tramway says they expect a busy weekend with Valentine's Day and President's Day celebrations.

The tram runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

To watch the tram's winter weather conditions, visit: https://pstramway.com/tram-cam/