Julian Celebrates Thanksgiving with Snow
Last updated 1/23/2020 at 1:12pm
Sicco Rood
This year, the Thanksgiving holiday was a bit whiter in Julian. The town received a few inches of snow on Thursday Nov. 28 and Friday Nov. 29, creating a beautiful, yet crowded holiday weekend.
Residents were well aware of the impending storm and some made preparations to stay home or celebrate the holiday early. News channels spread the word around the county about the expected snowfall days in advance. Thankfully a couple of the news stations made a point to remind visitors to be respectful of the town and its residents.
Winter storm warnings and advisories went into effect on Thursday and lasted through Saturday. Several inches to over a foot of snow fell in the mountains and outlying areas over the two days.
Those making their way to enjoy the snow were met with a variety of traffic issues. Either the driving conditions were unsafe or travel was restricted due to the necessity for snow chains.
The bulk of the visitors arrived in Julian on Saturday just in time to enjoy the beautiful weather and the town's annual Christmas tree lighting festivities. That day and throughout the weekend, traffic was backed up for miles on the roads leading into Julian.
Many travelers sat in traffic for hours just trying to enter Julian. Those looking for a place to eat or even a slice of pie had a two hour wait. However, visitors used their wait time wisely by playing in the snow in several areas. Stores along Main Street were extremely busy and business owners were happy to see the huge increases in sales.
Each snow storm or large event brings a huge increase of visitors to Julian. Residents are concerned about the historic town's ability to accommodate such a large influx of people all at once. Lack of sufficient parking and restroom facilities cause the most anxiety when crowds flock to Julian.
There is a lot of discussion among Julian residents and business owners regarding the issues. All agree that Julian is a special place and should be respected as such.
This Thanksgiving holiday and the storm that came with it was a beautiful example of just how special Julian is as a home and destination to many.
