Lots of snow, and very low: Here’s what to expect for this week’s storm in California
A major winter storm is sweeping through wide swaths of the U.S. this week, including Northern California, where forecasts show feet of snow piling onto the mountains and several inches or more dropping at lower elevations, including the foothills and possibly even some portions of the Sacramento Valley.
Up to 3 feet of snow is expected at elevations between 3,000 feet and 5,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada range, according to the National Weather Service, with up to 2 feet of snow between 1,500 feet and 3,000 feet. Anywhere from 2 to 8 inches could fall between 1,000 feet and 1,500 feet.
That means significant snowfall is possible in the foothills just east of Sacramento.
Forecasts call for between 3 and 8 inches of snow in Placerville from Wednesday through Friday. El Dorado Hills and nearby Folsom could each see a slight chance of snow, according to the weather service, with up to half an inch in the former and little to no accumulation in the latter.
Farther up the hill, Pollock Pines could see as much as 2½ feet of snow.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. advised residents to be prepared for power outages. The last major snow event for the foothills left thousands of PG&E customers without power for several days, from the end of 2021 through the first few days of 2022.
The heaviest snowfall is expected between Thursday night and Friday morning, according to the weather service. Whiteout conditions are possible on mountain highways, with travel strongly discouraged.
The weather service has issued a winter storm warning, in place for the mountains above 3,000 feet from 10 a.m. Tuesday through 4 a.m. Saturday, and for elevations above 1,000 feet from 10 a.m. Wednesday through 4 a.m. Saturday.
Dustings of snow could develop in northern or even central parts of the valley. The weather service on Tuesday said Redding, where overnight lows are forecast to dip as low as 29 degrees, has about a 40% chance of receiving an inch or more of snow this week.
There is even a remote chance of snow in Sacramento late Wednesday or early Thursday, when temperatures are expected to fall to about 33 degrees, according to the weather service. Snow in Sacramento is very rare. It last snowed at Sacramento Executive Airport in December 2009, with trace amounts recorded; it also snowed that month in Folsom.
Rain is the much more likely outcome in this week’s storm for the capital city, with showers and chances of thunderstorms continuing from Wednesday night through Friday.
Daytime highs will range from the high 40s to low 50s in Sacramento, with gusts around 30 mph Tuesday weakening to about 20 mph Wednesday night and Thursday.
The cold snap represents a rapid turnaround, especially for northern parts of the Sacramento Valley.
Sacramento reached 71 degrees Monday, compared to a historic average of 64 degrees. Red Bluff set a new record-high, hitting 79 degrees.
Redding, which tied a Feb. 20 record by warming up to 80 degrees Monday, will cool down by nearly 40 degrees in just three days, with the weather service forecasting a high of just 41 degrees on Thursday.
Lake Tahoe area gets another round of snow
The Tahoe area, fresh off a Presidents Day weekend that saw relatively tame weather but with an abundance of fresh powder at local ski resorts from recent storms, will get plenty more snow in the coming days.
The weather service predicts between about 10 inches and 20 inches of snow this week South Lake Tahoe, with the heaviest accumulations forecast for Tuesday, Wednesday night and Friday.
Prior to this week’s storm, major ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe area such as Palisades Tahoe had already recorded close to 400 inches of snow this winter, which is close to the resort’s average for its entire ski season.
This story was originally published February 21, 2023 at 11:25 AM.
