Time to hunker down: Northern California in for stormy days with winter storm watch looming

Northern California is in for a stormy few days, as three separate storm systems are forecast to descend on the region, dumping snow over the Sierra Nevada and bringing rain elsewhere.

The first of three systems has already entered the capital region, bring light showers Saturday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office.

The relatively weak system — bringing less than a tenth of an inch of rain to Sacramento — will soon develop into more substantial precipitation.

“These showers will be very light mainly just wetting the ground,” NWS meteorologists wrote in a Saturday forecast discussion. “More widespread showers will develop later this evening into the overnight over the Shasta County mountains into the far northern Sacramento Valley.”

The second storm system will arrive Saturday evening and last through Sunday afternoon, bringing more showers as well as snowfall at 5,000- to 6,000-foot elevations. Forecasters predict less than an inch of snow at Donner Pass by Sunday.

But by early Monday morning, the weather is expected to take a drastic turn. The weather service has issued a winter storm watch starting at 4 a.m., set to last until the same time Tuesday morning, citing potentially hazardous travel conditions over the Sierra Nevada and a substantial amount of rain in the Sacramento Valley.

Sacramento and Chico could each see a full inch of rain, and Grass Valley could see up to 2 inches of rain.

At high elevations, snow will accumulate to more than a foot in many areas. Donner Pass could see up to 18 inches of snowfall between Monday morning and early Tuesday, with the heaviest snowfall occurring during Monday afternoon and evening.

Echo Pass is predicted to receive around 7 inches of snow, and Carson Pass may also see up to 18 inches. Lassen Peak may see a full 2 feet of snow.

Due to the heavy snowfall, weather service officials predict delays over mountain highways and low visibility conditions. Chain controls are likely where snowfall is heaviest.

Forecasters say this storm should start to break up Tuesday, but that reprieve will be brief.

“Drier conditions expected Tuesday with some morning valley fog possible,” NWS forecasters wrote. “Dry period is short-lived as models bring another round of widespread light to moderate precipitation into the forecast area Wednesday.”

Friday and Saturday morning brought some scattered showers across the Sacramento area as well.

In the 24 hours preceding 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sacramento Executive Airport recorded .02 inches of rain, according to the weather service. Stockton recorded .01 inches and Redding recorded the same amount.

In Roseville, flood sensors at Linda Creek and Champion Oaks Drive recorded .08 inches of rain over 24 hours.

This story was originally published January 2, 2021 at 1:12 PM.