Snow heads to Northern California mountains as Sacramento waits for rain. Here’s the latest

Sacramento might see a light round of rain Saturday evening ahead of the “main storm” that’s expected to hit the area late afternoon Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

Moderate to heavy showers are expected across the valley Sunday through Tuesday with a high chance of one to two inches of rain across most of Northern California.

There’s a 40% chance of rain Saturday evening in Sacramento, but meteorologists say the first round of the storm could miss the capital city all together.

Light snow is predicted around Interstate 80 and Highway 50 Saturday before heavy snow hits the Sierra Nevada Sunday into early next week. Snow of one to four feet Sunday through Tuesday is possible across the Sierra.

Gusty winds are expected Sunday night, reaching 35-55 mph along the Sierra with higher gusts over 60 mph near the crest.

The weather service “highly discourages” mountain travel after 4 p.m. Sunday and says major delays are likely.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center anticipates colder and wetter than normal conditions through Nov. 15.

PG&E created a list of safety tips to be prepared and stay safe throughout the winter:

• Never touch downed wires: If you see a downed power line, assume it is energized and extremely dangerous. Do not touch or try to move it—and keep children and animals away. Report downed power lines immediately by calling 911 and by calling PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.
• Use flashlights, not candles: During a power outage, use battery-operated flashlights, and not candles, due to the risk of fire. If you must use candles, please keep them away from drapes, lampshades, pets and small children. Do not leave candles unattended.
• Have a backup phone: If you have a telephone system that requires electricity to work, such as a cordless phone or answering machine, plan to have a standard telephone or cellular phone ready as a backup.
• Have fresh drinking water, ice: Freeze plastic containers filled with water to make blocks of ice that can be placed in your refrigerator/freezer during an outage to prevent foods from spoiling. Blue Ice from your picnic cooler also works well in the freezer.
• Use generators safely: Customers with standby electric generators should make sure they are properly installed by a licensed electrician in a well-ventilated area. Improperly installed generators pose a significant danger to customers, as well as crews working on power lines. If using portable generators, be sure they are in a well-ventilated area.
• Turn off appliances: If you experience an outage, unplug or turn off all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards when power is restored. Simply leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns. Turn your appliances back on one at a time when conditions return to normal.
• Safely clean up: After the inclement weather has passed, be sure to safely clean up. Never touch downed wires and always call 811 or visit 811express.com at least two full business days before digging to have all underground utilities safely marked.

Sacramento weather forecast

Here’s the National Weather Service forecast as of noon Saturday:

Saturday night | Low near 51 degrees

Mostly cloudy with a 40% chance of showers.

Sunday | High near 63 degrees

Partly sunny with a 20% chance of showers before 11 a.m.

Sunday night | Low near 47 degrees

100% chance of rain between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Monday | High near 56 degrees

Showers. Possible thunderstorm after 11 a.m.

Monday night | Low near 46 degrees

Showers and possible thunderstorm.

Tuesday | High near 53 degrees

Mostly cloudy, 90% chance of rain.

Tuesday night | Low near 41 degrees

Mostly cloudy, rain is likely.

Wednesday | High near 55 degrees

Mostly sunny with a chance of rain.