Parts of the Sacramento Valley could get a rare dusting of white Monday as temperatures and snow levels continue to drop.
As of Sunday evening, snow levels in the Sierra foothills east of Sacramento had dropped to around 2,000 feet, hitting the Placerville area. Snow was expected to continue its descent overnight, perhaps as low as El Dorado Hills, at 700 to 1,200 feet, according to the National Weather Service.
The northern Sierra snow line east of Redding already had reached 500 feet Sunday when the weather service issued a statement saying that Monday, "snow will be possible even as low as parts of the Sacramento Valley."
Sunday's snowstorm lifted spirits of skiers, but challenged motorists in the Lake Tahoe area.
Chains were required on Interstate 80 over Donner Summit and on Highway 88 over Carson Pass. Chains or snow tires were required on U.S. 50 over Echo Summit.
The Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows ski resorts reported a foot of snow at the summits from the weekend storm as of Sunday afternoon.
Boreal atop Donner Summit reported 10 inches of new snow. The ski area has three lifts and four trails in operation, officials said.
The weather service called for a chance of another 1 to 2 feet of snow in the northern Sierra and another 6 to 12 inches along the eastern Sierra through Tuesday afternoon.
The weather service issued a winter storm warning for the Reno-Tahoe area for a 24-hour period that began at 4 p.m. Sunday.
Before the weekend storm, the Sierra snowpack was only 2 percent of average for the date.
The Tahoe basin's snowpack ended at about 85 percent of average last season, a second below-average year in a row.
In Sacramento, the weather service forecasts an 80 percent chance of showers Monday, with a high near 44 and a low around 35, and south-southwest wind between 9 and 13 mph. There's 50 percent chance of showers in the Sacramento region Tuesday. Wednesday is forecast to be drier but still cold.
Call The Bee's Chris Bowman, (916) 321-1069. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Call The Bee's Chris Bowman, (916) 321-1069
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