Interstate 80 is closed from Colfax to the Nevada border amid snow and zero visibility

Caltrans said Saturday morning that Interstate 80 was closed from Colfax to the Nevada state line due to zero visibility conditions amid snowy weather in the Sierra Nevada.

The 11 a.m. closure came as much of Northern California was facing inclement weather. Highway 50 remained open, although chains were required on all but four-wheel drive vehicles between Kyburz and Meyers.

As snow fell over the Sierra Nevada on Saturday, the Sacramento area was seeing more rain after a week of wet weather.

The National Weather Service’s Sacramento office predicted that the Sacramento Valley could even experience some thunderstorms and hail between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Saturday alone could bring in up to a half inch of rain for the Valley, according to weather service forecasts.

And the rain is here to stay, for now. Meteorologists predicted up to two inches of rain for the city of Sacramento from Saturday to Wednesday. The heaviest rainfall was forecast for Sunday afternoon through Monday. The region was also expected to see fast-moving winds through the weekend.

Wind gusts in Sacramento and Grass Valley were expected to reach between 25 and 30 mph. South Lake Tahoe could see gusts up to 50 mph.

On Saturday morning, the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab, located at Donner Pass near I-80, recorded 7.2 inches of snow over 24 hours.

The weather service predicted even more snow in the days ahead, issuing a winter storm warning for the Sierra Nevada from Saturday night to Tuesday morning. Meteorologists predicted 3 to 6 feet of snowfall over the mountains in that time frame, plus 2 to 4 feet of snow in the foothills at elevations over 1,000 feet.

“A Winter Storm Warning for snow means there will be snow covered roads and limited visibilities,” weather service officials wrote in their storm warning. “Travel is not recommended while the warning is in effect.”