Fog, rain, snow, cold: What to expect as storm continues across Northern California
Cold, foggy conditions descended Wednesday morning upon the Sacramento Valley, as a winter storm continues to progress through Northern California this week.
The National Weather Service issued a dense fog advisory, in place through 11 a.m. for the Sacramento Valley and northern San Joaquin Valley. Visibility was below a quarter-mile in many locations.
The storm, caused by an atmospheric river system, brought howling wind gusts and solid precipitation totals Tuesday. Some high peaks in the Sierra Nevada mountains saw gusts well over 100 mph, the weather service said.
The Sierra Avalanche Center issued backcountry avalanche warnings for stretches of Highway 49 and Highway 4 in the greater Lake Tahoe area, which were in place through 7 a.m. Wednesday.
Downtown Sacramento got 0.85 inches of rain Tuesday, bringing the city close to 6 inches for the month. The city’s average for December is about 3 1/2 inches, according to the weather service.
More rain is in Sacramento’s forecast, starting Wednesday evening and continuing Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Forecasters anticipated a total of between about a half-inch and an inch of rain Thursday and Friday, along with the return of gusts up to about 25 mph.
Tuesday’s winds proved hazardous, including in the Sacramento area. A stretch of Elk Grove Boulevard in Elk Grove was closed for most of the day after telephone lines fell onto the roadway, police said in social media posts.
Moderate snowfall was likely Wednesday evening through Friday morning in the northern and central Sierra Nevada mountains, the weather service said, with about 3 to 6 inches expected at elevations above 4,500 feet and up to a foot possible above 6,500 feet. Mountain travelers should expect delays.
The weather service reported Sacramento at 36 degrees as of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday. Forecast highs the rest of this week range in the 50s, with overnight lows in the 40s.
This story was originally published December 28, 2022 at 8:10 AM.
