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The first of two powerful winter storm systems is arriving now. Both will bring heavy snow to the Sierra along with rounds of rain and windy conditions for the Valley and lower Foothills. The KCRA 3 weather team is issuing Weather Alert Days for Monday and Tuesday because of snow reaching lower elevations, extended duration of rain, and strong winds. Travel is discouraged on Alert Days because of risky conditions posed by weather on Alert Days.Intense snowfall rates and strong winds will make travel difficult to impossible above 5,000 feet. The snow level will drop as low as 2,500 feet with the best accumulation above 3,000 feet.Wednesday is a KCRA 3 weather Impact Day; conditions will not be as risky, but travel and outdoor activities are likely to be affected. Snow will continue to fall, but the intensity will ease. Long delays are still likely throughout the day. The Valley and Foothills will have stormy weather to deal with each of these days, too. Below is a breakdown of what the KCRA 3 weather team is expecting. SnowMountain snow is in the forecast any time between Sunday night and Wednesday. Snow will be heaviest on Monday but more widespread on Tuesday. During Monday, snow could accumulate at one to two inches per hour. This, combined with strong winds, could create blizzard-like conditions with near-zero visibility. Sunday’s snow level will be around 5,500 feet. By Monday, the snow level will drop to 4,500 feet. It continues dropping to 3,000 feet by Tuesday and bottoms out Wednesday as some snow accumulates as low as 2,000 feet.Donner and Echo Summit could pick up three to five feet of snow between Monday and Wednesday. Similar totals are possible down to 5,000 feet, which includes places like Blue Canyon. The Tahoe Basin should prepare for two to three feet of snow.People living at 4,000 feet should prepare for the possibility of disruptive snowfall and closures next week. A foot of snow is possible at this elevation. Some accumulation is possible as low as 2,500 feet. The KCRA 3 weather team will focus on numbers for lower elevations over the next couple of days.RainRainfall totals will pale in comparison to snow numbers next week. The storm track will bring systems in from the north, where air tends to be dry, rather than from the south, which tends to breed warm, wet storms. There is no atmospheric river connection with next week’s pattern. Rain will arrive spotty at first on Sunday, spreading in from the coast through the afternoon. Expect widespread showers by evening that will persist into Monday morning.The Sacramento Valley will see one to two inches of rain between Sunday night and Wednesday. Lower numbers are forecast for the San Joaquin Valley.The Foothills will see up to two to four inches of rain over three days. Rain totals in these ranges are enough to keep things wet for several days, and there may be some street flooding in poor drainage areas. Creeks, streams and rivers will not flood. WindWhile winds can be expected on both days, the strongest winds will arrive as the second colder system barrels through the regin.The Valley and Foothills may experience wind gusts near 45 mph for a few hours at a time. Sierra wind gusts will peak near 50 mph. Gusts over the Sierra summits could top 100 mph.Wind gusts of 45 mph can make a mess of any yard furniture, décor or trash bins, but major damage is not currently expected.Winds could trigger outages in the Sierra. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
The first of two powerful winter storm systems is arriving now. Both will bring heavy snow to the Sierra along with rounds of rain and windy conditions for the Valley and lower Foothills.
The KCRA 3 weather team is issuing Weather Alert Days for Monday and Tuesday because of snow reaching lower elevations, extended duration of rain, and strong winds. Travel is discouraged on Alert Days because of risky conditions posed by weather on Alert Days.
Intense snowfall rates and strong winds will make travel difficult to impossible above 5,000 feet. The snow level will drop as low as 2,500 feet with the best accumulation above 3,000 feet.
Wednesday is a KCRA 3 weather Impact Day; conditions will not be as risky, but travel and outdoor activities are likely to be affected. Snow will continue to fall, but the intensity will ease. Long delays are still likely throughout the day.
The Valley and Foothills will have stormy weather to deal with each of these days, too.
Below is a breakdown of what the KCRA 3 weather team is expecting.
Snow
Mountain snow is in the forecast any time between Sunday night and Wednesday.
Snow will be heaviest on Monday but more widespread on Tuesday. During Monday, snow could accumulate at one to two inches per hour. This, combined with strong winds, could create blizzard-like conditions with near-zero visibility.
Sunday’s snow level will be around 5,500 feet. By Monday, the snow level will drop to 4,500 feet. It continues dropping to 3,000 feet by Tuesday and bottoms out Wednesday as some snow accumulates as low as 2,000 feet.
Donner and Echo Summit could pick up three to five feet of snow between Monday and Wednesday. Similar totals are possible down to 5,000 feet, which includes places like Blue Canyon. The Tahoe Basin should prepare for two to three feet of snow.
People living at 4,000 feet should prepare for the possibility of disruptive snowfall and closures next week. A foot of snow is possible at this elevation.
Some accumulation is possible as low as 2,500 feet. The KCRA 3 weather team will focus on numbers for lower elevations over the next couple of days.
Rain
Rainfall totals will pale in comparison to snow numbers next week.
The storm track will bring systems in from the north, where air tends to be dry, rather than from the south, which tends to breed warm, wet storms.
There is no atmospheric river connection with next week’s pattern.
Rain will arrive spotty at first on Sunday, spreading in from the coast through the afternoon. Expect widespread showers by evening that will persist into Monday morning.
The Sacramento Valley will see one to two inches of rain between Sunday night and Wednesday. Lower numbers are forecast for the San Joaquin Valley.
The Foothills will see up to two to four inches of rain over three days.
Rain totals in these ranges are enough to keep things wet for several days, and there may be some street flooding in poor drainage areas.
Creeks, streams and rivers will not flood.
Wind
While winds can be expected on both days, the strongest winds will arrive as the second colder system barrels through the regin.
The Valley and Foothills may experience wind gusts near 45 mph for a few hours at a time. Sierra wind gusts will peak near 50 mph. Gusts over the Sierra summits could top 100 mph.
Wind gusts of 45 mph can make a mess of any yard furniture, décor or trash bins, but major damage is not currently expected.
Winds could trigger outages in the Sierra.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
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