Rain, Sierra Snow Return to Northern California Tonight

By Brian Edwards, Meteorologist

October 21,2012; 4:22PM,EDT

 

 

 

A storm system poised to plow into northern California will bring the first significant snow to the northern Sierra Nevada while producing a chilly rain along the coast.
Rain will spread over much of northern California tonight with the heaviest falling in Eureka, Crescent City and Redding after midnight local time.
Farther east, snow will develop after midnight in the northern Sierra Nevada with snow spreading farther south into the central Sierra by Monday morning.
Snow levels will begin around 6,500 feet late tonight and drop to around 5,000 feet on Monday. Snow will accumulate several inches Monday and Monday night, causing potential travel headaches along I-80 through Donner Pass and around the Truckee area.
Vacationers coming home from the Lake Tahoe region could also encounter travel problems as the snow level falls below the elevation of the lake and surrounding communities.
Steady snow will taper to a few snow showers Tuesday morning but not before dumping 6-12 inches of snow on communities above 5,000 feet, with amounts to 2 feet above 7,000 feet.

Along with the heavy snowfall, winds will gust to 50 mph above 5,000 feet with gusts to nearly 100 mph on the mountain peaks.
People planning to travel the northern and central Sierra passes tonight or Monday should be prepared for slow travel and potential delays.
Meanwhile, snow amounts won't be quite as much farther south over the central Sierra near Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite National Park. A few inches of snow is possible above 6,000 feet come Monday, but amounts won't be nearly as much as point north.
However, gusty southwest winds will impact the central and southern Sierra as the storm shifts inland on Monday.
Rainfall will make it as far south as the San Francisco Bay area late tonight, but it won't get there in time to impact Game 6 of the N.L.C.S.
Rain will taper to a few showers over much of northern and north-central California by Monday afternoon, but clouds and a leftover shower will linger into Tuesday morning with an onshore flow persisting.
Onshore flow will keep clouds and a shower at times around through the day on Wednesday before drier weather moves in Wednesday night.