Another heavy snowstorm targets Tahoe, with Sacramento likely to see some weekend rain
A winter storm warning will go into effect Friday night through Saturday morning in the Sierra, and Sacramento is likely to get wet weather off and on through the weekend. But conditions should be moderate compared to the midweek storm.
National Weather Service has issued the warning in the Sierra from 10 p.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Saturday, with “near white out conditions” possible. The forecast calls for 1 foot to 18 inches of snow above 5,000 feet, with 2 feet or more at higher elevations.
NWS and Caltrans discourage travel through the mountains during the storm warning.
Meanwhile in Sacramento, Friday will remain sunny with showers likely Friday evening through most of Saturday. The rain should clear out by late Saturday, or Sunday at the latest. High temperatures will remain in the low to mid-50s through the weekend, with lows dipping down as low as 31 Sunday night. Winds are expected to remain calm.
Earlier in the week, rainy and windy conditions wreaked havoc in the Sacramento area and stalled traffic throughout the region. Erosion from Wednesday night’s storm created a sinkhole along Interstate 5 in downtown Sacramento, requiring emergency repairs and the closure of northbound lanes for hours as Caltrans worked to clear out the drainage.
Gusts near 40 mph and heavy rains were recorded in parts of Sacramento on Wednesday evening. The rain continued Thursday, with isolated thunderstorms in parts of Sacramento and El Dorado counties.
Travel through the mountains is not recommended until the weather warning ends late Saturday. But if you’re hitting the slopes in the days following, there should be tons of fresh powder. NWS Sacramento reports more than a foot of snowfall at Kirkwood, Squaw Valley and Sugar Bowl ski resorts in a 24-hour stretch ending Friday morning, with more snow expected to fall around Tahoe the next two days.
Caltrans reminds drivers that the speed limit is 25 mph on Highway 50 when chain controls are in place.
This story was originally published November 30, 2018 at 10:21 AM.