Heavy rains return to Sacramento as portions of Interstate 80 shut down due to harsh conditions

Portions of Interstate 80 shut down due to harsh conditions

Interstate 80 between Colfax and the Nevada state line is currently shut down due to harsh weather conditions, the California Department of Public Transportation said.

Deanna Shoopman, spokeswoman for Caltrans, said there is zero visibility for drivers. “We have blizzard-like whiteout conditions,” Shoopman said.

Chain controls are in effect on portions of Highway 50 between Placerville and Lake Tahoe, Shoopman added.

– Jessica Hice

Heavy rain in Sacramento

Heavy rains are moving through the area, reducing visibility, the National Weather Service reports.

Travis Wilson, meteorologist, said the NWS does not expect to issue any storm warnings today.

As of 3:00 p.m., downtown Sacramento has seen 0.49 inches of rain in the past 36 hours, the NWS said.

– Jessica Hice

Significant weather advisory lifted in Lincoln, Sheridan, Wheatland

The weather advisory in Lincoln, Sheridan and Wheatland due to harsh weather conditions was lifted Sunday afternoon, the National Weather Service reported.

Travis Wilson, NWS meteorologist, said the gusty 30 miles-per-hour winds, half-inch hail and lightning blew out of the area around 3:15 p.m.

– Jessica Hice

Funnel cloud spotted near Dixon

A small funnel cloud was spotted near Dixon Sunday afternoon, the National Weather Service said.

Travis Wilson, meteorologist for the NWS, said no severe thunderstorm warning is in effect

“Things could get stronger, but for now they are pretty weak,” Wilson said.

– Jessica Hice

Crews tackle downed trees

City crews from Sacramento’s Urban Forestry section of the Public Works Department made the most of breaks in the rain Sunday morning to tackle downed trees. By 11 a.m., one crew estimated that they had already cleaned up 10 trees with another 10 to go. They had started sawing shortly after 4 a.m. when a big gust of wind toppled dozens of local trees.

Among the fallen giants was an 80-foot linden in the 1800 block of Bidwell Way in the Land Park neighborhood near McClatchy High School. Estimated to be 80 years old, the huge tree completely blocked Bidwell Way after falling about 4 a.m. Sunday morning.

“I thought it was thunder,” said homeowner Daniel Kramer, who was awakened by the crash. “It also took out a light pole.”

That causing electrical arcing, added Karen Kramer, Daniel’s wife. The tree also hit a Volkswagen station wagon, parked on the street.

“The arcing is what woke me up,” she said. “It could have been a lot worse; nobody was hurt.

“It’s just so sad,” she added. “We’ve lived here 18 years. ... It hurts to lose these trees. I love this tree. It was so beautiful and so majestic.”

When rain stopped Sunday morning, a crowd gathered in front of their house to gawk at the downed tree and watch the city crew get to work, Karen Kramer added. “We must have had 20 people in the front yard. We had a little morning party with our neighbors.”

– Debbie Arrington

I-80 and Highway 50 re-opened

Caltrans is allowing one lane of traffic in each direction on I-80 through the Sierra with chains required. Big rigs are being allowed through, but they must have the maximum chains and there are some restrictions based on trailers and tires. Highway 50 has been re-opened, with chain control.

Caltrans spokeswoman Deanna Shoopman said it is “extremely windy” in the mountains with low visibility. The maximum speed with chains on I-80 is 30 mph and on Highway 50, it’s 25 mph. Shoopman said anyone trying to get across the mountains today should be prepared for at least double the usual trip length and should be sure to fill up the tank, bring some snacks and be cautious about snow equipment on the road.

– Ellen Garrison

Lights coming back on

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District said power has been restored to most of its customers. About 1,200 customers remain without electricity. The lights are back on in Rio Linda, where the largest outage hit overnight.

– Mary Lynne Vellinga

I-80 closed from Colfax to the Nevada state line

8:05 a.m.

Caltrans is holding eastbound traffic on I-80 at Colfax, so anyone hoping to get up the hill today may have a long wait. Westbound traffic is held at the state line. The highway is closed due to “zero visibility,” said Caltrans spokeswoman Deanna Shoopman. She said a blizzard-like storm is gripping the area and it’s “just a waiting game,” on when the road will be able to open.

Part of Highway 50 is closed this morning for avalanche control, Shoopman said. Eastbound drivers are stopped at Sly Park and westbound traffic is stopped at Meyers. When the road opens again, she said chains will be required.

– Ellen Garrison

Wind will calm down later this morning

6:30 a.m.

The National Weather Service says wind gusts will die down after 8 a.m. Sunday, but it will remain breezy outside. This round of storms is expected to bring another 0.5 inches to 2 inches of additional rainfall to the valley by Tuesday. The weather service said another 1 to 4 feet of snow is expected in the Sierra Nevada.

– Mary Lynne Vellinga

High winds knock out power to thousands

6:12 a.m.

High winds blowing through the Sacramento area Saturday night and early Sunday morning have knocked out power to thousands of residents. As of about 6:12 a.m., the Sacramento Municipal Utility District said 54 outages were affecting 10,971 of its customers. The largest was in north Sacramento, where 1,383 customers were without electricity. See a map of current outages here: https://www.smud.org/en/outages/. Pacific Gas & Electric reported scattered outages. About 1,062 customers lost power in Ione, 399 in Granite Bay and 124 in Davis. Neither utility gave a time when power would be restored.

– Mary Lynne Vellinga

I-80 closes as snow limits visibility

5:20 a.m.

The California Highway Patrol says I-80 westbound is closed at the Nevada state line and and I-80 eastbound is closed at Colfax due to poor visibility and lack of traction. The agency said the brunt of Saturday night’s storm is just reaching the Tahoe area.

– Mary Lynne Vellinga

High winds blow through Sacramento

4:00 a.m.

The National Weather Service says wind gusts were reaching 44 miles per hour at Sacramento International and Sacramento Executive airports.

– Mary Lynne Vellinga

This story was originally published January 22, 2017 at 6:10 AM with the headline "Heavy rains return to Sacramento as portions of Interstate 80 shut down due to harsh conditions."