SNOW-GUESSING CONTEST: Palm Desert Resident Among Winners

Ginger Crowl of Palm Desert is among 10 people who correctly guessed Thursday Dec. 13 would be the first day a full inch of snow would be measured at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway mountain station.

Each winner won four tram tickets apiece.

The Tram's Annual Snow-Guessing Contest began Oct. 1 and tram officials received 941 postcard entries, including two from Australia, Tramway public affairs manager Lena Zimmerschied said in a phone interview.

"There was no deadline," Zimmerschied said. "We received about a dozen in the mail today and we can't count them. They were measuring when I came in at 7 this morning."

As of 1 p.m. Thursday there were three to four inches of snow at the mountain station, Zimmerschied said. The mountain station stands at more than 8,000 feet elevation at the southeast end of the San Gorgonio Pass.

The 10 contestants who guessed correctly in the Snow-Guessing Contest were:

- Ginger Crowl of Palm Desert

- Scott Connelly of Palm Springs

- Jennifer Cozens of Bermuda Dunes

- Lisa Jones of Bermuda Dunes

- Elaine Kontra of La Quinta

- Michelle Collins of Twentynine Palms

- Melissa Adams of Tarzana

- Renee Breiling of Palm Springs

- Marvelle Bratton of Indio

- Jean Curtis of Palm Springs

The winners will receive four tram tickets worth $23.95 each, Zimmerschied said.

The tram's cars ascend on steel cables and a series of five towers to reach the mountain station. The tramway opened in 1963 and upgraded to rotating cars in 2000.

The valley station is at 2,643 feet at the bottom of Chino Canyon in Palm Springs, and the mountain station is at 8,516 feet elevation in San Jacinto alpine country.

The turnoff to Tramway Road is about 15 miles west of Palm Desert. For more info visit www.pstramway.com.

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