Yes, in winter you can always expect lots of rain and storms in almost every part of California-- though the deeper inland you get, I think the less likely it is to happen. It does NOT snow in most places in California, unless you're close to the mountains or something. Yes, it snows near Lake Tahoe and in Squaw Valley, but I've never seen snow in my life, and I've been up and down the state.

I'll look the card up, though!

As for SJ-- I think the card only applies to new subscriptions... but hey, I could be wrong.