Another series of storms has arrived in Northern California, bringing rain, wind and possible travel issues just in time for the President’s Day weekend.
Forecasters with the National Weather Service say the Sacramento region will see a trifecta of storms coming in waves for the next few days. The first of the three hit Wednesday, and it’s projected to wrap up by Thursday afternoon.
Another storm will roll into the region starting Saturday, with the heaviest rainfall predicted to fall that night. And finally, a third storm will hit Sunday evening and last into Monday, with the heaviest rainfall expected for Sunday night.
Winds are expected to be gusty between Saturday and Tuesday, with forecasters warning of a 60-100% chance of wind speeds over 25 mph and a 30-50% chance of over 40 mph.
These storms likely won’t bring winds as strong as what the region saw earlier this month, but heavy rain might cause some ponds to form in roadways or minor flooding. We’ll also likely see more snow in the mountains, which could impact travel.
“Especially for people who have mountain travel plans, we’re looking at, over the next seven days, quite a bit of heavy mountain snow up there, which could lead to chain controls and possible road closures at times,” said Katrina Hand, a meteorologist with the weather service in Sacramento.
National Weather Service
Impacts on snowpack
While the year started off pretty dry, this February has brought a lot of rain and snow to California. Statewide snowpack levels jumped up from 53% of average on Feb. 1 to 73% as of Wednesday.
And with these storms, there’s more to come: Forecasts say that by the end of Thursday, an estimated 25 inches of snow could fall at Donner Pass and around 15 inches could fall along Highway 50. The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow lab reported that 13 inches of snow fell between Wednesday and Thursday morning.
That’s just the beginning, with even more snow in the forecast over this weekend and into Monday.
“There’s multiple waves coming through,” said Hand. “Even though the snow isn’t necessarily steady over the weekend, still, impacts may accumulate over the weekend.”
How to prepare
If you’re traveling this weekend, Hand recommended keeping a close eye on weather forecasts. She also said to expect some possible delays on the road — especially in mountainous areas.
A winter storm warning is in effect for much of the Sierra through Thursday, with forecasters warning of travel that will be “very difficult to impossible” and that those who must should “keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.”
After multiple storms, the ground is saturated and trees are more likely to fall. With that in mind (and wind in the forecast), we’d like to direct you to this guide on what to do if a tree falls near you. Most importantly, report it, and don’t try to move it yourself. And here’s another guide on how to prepare for prolonged outages and other storm-related impacts, just in case.
You may have been one of the tens of thousands of Sacramentans who lost power during early February storms. If the SMUD outage map happens to go down on your browser, the utility said you should still be able to access it within the SMUD mobile app.
And if you do lose power (or are without a consistent source of heat) both the city and county of Sacramento have activated weather respite centers. Their locations are as follows:
City of Sacramento
- Auburn Outreach and Engagement Center, 3615 Auburn Boulevard
- The Engagement Center will accept walk-ups and can accommodate 50 people. Pets will also be accepted, and guests will be given space to store their belongings.
Sacramento County
- Warren E Thornton Youth Center Gym, 4000 Branch Center Road
- This space accommodates up to 65 people. A “limited number” of pets will be allowed as long as they are kept in their crates or carriers. Guests will be given blankets, access to showers and meals during their stay at the center.
Both centers will be open to the public from 5 p.m. on Feb. 16 to noon on Feb. 21
Sacramento Regional Transit is providing free rides to and from weather respite centers. Those headed to the centers should show fare collectors this flier upon boarding a vehicle.
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