Holiday travelers, here’s when the next storm is going to hit Northern California
This story was updated at 9 a.m. Saturday
Holiday travelers, get ready for Round 2 of more difficult, and dangerous, driving conditions as hundreds of thousands of people hit Northern California roads to head home after the Thanksgiving break.
Friday was the literal calm before the storm, forecasters say. Clear skies across much of California will give way to another storm, expected to roll in Saturday.
Rain and snow is forecast to begin after 10 a.m. Saturday in the Sacramento region and not let up until at least Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
At higher elevations, that’s going to mean hellish snowy road conditions similar those that closed freeways and stranded holiday travelers on Interstate 5 from the Oregon border to the Grapevine in Southern California earlier this week.
The National Weather Service warns that snow levels Saturday morning may dip as low as 1,500 feet, with temperatures Friday night getting as low as the single digits at higher elevations. The temperatures will warm significantly as the storm moves through, leaving snow only in the higher elevations this weekend.
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch for the Tahoe region, saying as much as 4 feet of snow could fall above 7,000 feet. Also in the forecast is wind, with gusts predicted as hit as 60 mph over Donner Pass.
Already, at least 36 inches of snow had fallen in 48 hours at Bear Valley and 30 inches were on the ground at Donner Summit by Friday morning.
The weather service and the California Department of Transportation warn motorists to carry tire chains and to be prepared for lengthy delays.
Multiple car spinouts and jackknifed big rigs on Friday evening resulted in the closure of Interstate 80 between Colfax and the Nevada border. Highway 20 was also closed at Nevada City. It reopened Saturday morning.
Chains were required Friday on Highways 70, 89 and 267. Chains were required intermittently Friday on Highway 50, the CHP reported.
Throughout the holiday week, motorists should keep updated on the latest conditions on Caltrans’ Quickmap website and app.
The California Highway Patrol reported around 7:45 a.m. that at least three cows were seen on the roadway near Highway 50 and Still Meadow Road, likely from Wednesday’s incident involving a jackknifed big-rig.
Other major closures around the state include Highway 58 through the Sierra and Tehachapi mountains in Kern County; Interstate 5 is open across the state, including the Grapevine, according to Caltrans.
This story was originally published November 29, 2019 at 7:20 AM.