What occured on the morning of January 25, 1999 will go down in history as the most incredible snowfall Bakersfield has ever seen. It started with 36 straight hours of precipitation (mostly rain) and snowed for 8 straight hours without a break. It was the first measurable snowfall in Bakersfield since 1974 and the most ever recorded in one storm since records have been kept (beginning in 1890). The city practically shut down as a result of up to 6 inches of snowfall (yes, it's pathetic!). Power went out for about a quarter of the city's residences and branches snapped like twigs under the weight of the heavy wet snow. This is an event that will probably never be repeated for another 100 years and maybe more.