Over winter break, most of the West Coast, including the Bay Area, was hit by a storm that dumped eight inches of rain and 11 feet of snow.

Winds in Central and Northern California reached 100 mph, tearing down trees and power lines. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency for 14 counties in California, including San Mateo and Marin County.

Two storm-related deaths were reported, and 440,000 California residents were left without power after nearly 500 miles of power lines were pulled down by the heavy snow, falling trees and powerful wind gusts. Sophomore Joel Shaffer, like many of his neighbors living in Los Altos Hills, was without power for three hours. “I had to eat a cold breakfast in the dark; it was a depressing way to start off my last weekend of break,” Shaffer said.

Across California, heavy rains and winds caused damage to more than 1,200 homes, according to the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company. Damages amounted to almost $75 million.

Despite the harsh weather conditions, Gunn was left perfectly intact. “The buildings held up well; there was no wind damage or leaks,” Principal Noreen Likins said. During the storm, the roof of the office building was being remodeled and was only covered by tar paper and plastic tarps, but, there were no leaks.

The storm’s effects were not all negative; last year was dry, which caused water shortages and poor crop yields. According to the California Department of Water Resources, there was a 20 to 25 percent increase in basin water levels as a result of the storm system. From Oct. 1, 2007 to Jan. 29, 2008, the total precipitation for California was 23 inches, which is two inches less than the average amount of rainfall California usually receives by this time. The snow pack water content, however, is 111 percent of the yearly average to date, twice as much as California had at this time last year, according to the California Department of Water Resources. As long as the rain and snow keeps up, California will not experience drought this year.

The storm came as a blessing to skiers who now, thanks to the eleven feet of powder, have a steady 130 to 165-inch base to ski down. “There was two feet of powder, you couldn’t even see your feet,” sophomore Sam Zief said. “It was epic.”