First snow on UCLA campus
On Jan. 15, 1932, something magical happened at UCLA: that morning, the campus was covered with snow — the first time UCLA had ever seen snow. Students and faculty alike skipped class to frolic in the snow before it melted, creating a legendary day that persists in UCLA memory.
Keep reading for more about the first day it snowed on the UCLA campus and its accompanying shenanigans.
UCLA’s first snow was no small event; according to the UCLA Alumni website, Royce Quad was buried under two inches of snow. Not many people wanted to waste the rare opportunity to enjoy the snow in sunny Los Angeles, so the students set their studies aside in favor of snowball fights and snowman-building. While some professors dismissed their classes for the day, others tried to maintain order and keep their students in the classroom — an effort that ultimately failed.
Unfortunately, the fun came to an end at 11 a.m. when the sun melted the snow on the ground, and life resumed as normal. That is, except for the black eyes and other minor injuries, a damaged lamp post, a shattered chandelier and 14 broken windows. According to the UCLA Alumni website, the damages were all paid for by Dean of Men Earl J. Miller.
To see photos of the first snow on UCLA campus, visit the UCLA Centennial website through the link below.
Since that day, there have been other instances of snow at UCLA. The most recent snowfall at UCLA may not have even been snow; on Mar. 1, 2023, snow-like graupel fell from the sky for a few minutes, prompting the following exchange on X:
Who knows how long it will be until UCLA sees snow again, but in the meantime, the magic (and humorous tweets) from previous snows will live on in our memory.
