Northern California rain and snow forecast: Sierra chain controls, live road updates
Scroll below for live road conditions in the Sierra
LIVE AT 7:30 A.M. ALL RIGHT. LET’S GIVE YOU A LIVE LOOK OUTSIDE. THIS FROM A CALTRANS CAMERA IN KINGVALE. THIS IS ALONG I-80. YOU SEE TRAFFIC AT A STANDSTILL. CRASH UP THE ROAD NEAR DONNER SUMMIT HAS BROUGHT THINGS TO A HALT. AND OF COURSE, YOU CONTINUE TO SEE THAT SNOW FALL. WE’LL CHECK IN WITH BRIAN HICKEY IN JUST A LITTLE BIT FOR MORE ON THAT. AND TODAY IS A KCRA 3 WEATHER IMPACT DAY. THANKS FOR JOINING US. I’M MIKE CHERRY AND I’M BRANDI CUMMINGS. LET’S HEAD RIGHT OVER TO METEOROLOGIST TAMARA BERG. AND TAMARA. WE SEE ALL THE GREEN THERE ON RADAR BEHIND YOU. YEAH. AND WE DO HAVE CONDITIONS RIGHT NOW THAT ARE CERTAINLY SLICK. THIS IS A LIVE LOOK RIGHT NOW FROM STOCKTON, WHERE WE’RE EVEN SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF FOG TRYING TO ENVELOP THE TOWN THERE. AS YOU LOOK FROM THE SKYCAM, WET MORNING PLAN FOR THAT. GIVE YOURSELF A BUFFER OF TIME TO GET OUT ON THOSE WET ROADWAY CONDITIONS. AFTERNOON SHOWERS WILL BE KIND OF MORE HIT AND MISS VARIETY. AND IF YOU’RE DOING ANY SIERRA TRAVELS, YOU’RE ABOUT TO FIND OUT. AGAIN, CONDITIONS ARE GOING TO BE SLICK AND SLOW TRAVELED AS WE’LL HAVE INTERMITTENT CHAIN CONTROLS LIKELY THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY TODAY IN THE MOUNTAINS RIGHT NOW, TEMPERATURES LOW 50S IN THE VALLEY AND DELTA 48 FOR YOU IN AUBURN AND WAKING UP TO JUST A CRISP AND CHILLY 32 WITH RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS THAT HAVE MIXED IN AROUND TRUCKEE. YOU’VE BEEN SEEING THAT SNOW LEVEL KIND OF DROP DOWN CLOSE TO AROUND 5000FT THIS MORNING, BUT A BULK OF THIS BOUNDARY IS PUSHING TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST. NOW AT THIS POINT IN THE MORNING. SO OUTSIDE OF MAYBE SOME WET TRACK, THERE ARE GOING TO BE PLENTY OF PARTS TO TODAY THAT WILL HAVE DRIER CONDITIONS. RIGHT NOW A COUPLE OF PASSING SHOWERS, CENTRAL SACRAMENTO COUNTY AND EXTENDING INTO SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY. AND I’VE BEEN SEEING JUST A BIT MORE RAIN BLOSSOM RIGHT NOW INTO STOCKTON AND EXTENDING INTO AREAS LIKE MODESTO. SOME BETTER SOAKING RAIN AROUND MANTECA ALONG HIGHWAY 120, AND SOME OF THOSE BANDS WILL PUSH TOWARDS FARMINGTON HERE ALONG HIGHWAY FOUR, IN JUST A FEW MOMENTS. BUT THE WIDENED VIEW HERE OF THE SIERRA, MOST OF THAT SNOW THAT WAS COMING DOWN AT A BETTER CLIP JUST BEFORE DAYBREAK IS NOW TRANSITION TO JUST THE OCCASIONAL SNOW SHOWER. SO FOR THE DAY AHEAD, WE’RE STILL EXPECTING TO HAVE THE IMPACT FOR THE MORNING BECAUSE OF THE WET CONDITIONS. AND THEN THE AFTERNOON BIGGER IMPACT WILL BE ON THE FOCUS IN THE SIERRA, WHERE THOSE SNOW SHOWERS CONTINUE. NEXT TEN MINUTES I’LL BREAK DOWN THE FORECAST FOR YOU NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD. IT IS 7.32. AND BRIAN, YOU’VE GOT YOUR HANDS FULL, ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS. YEAH. WE’RE GOING TO START IN THE SIERRA. THIS IS A PICTURE FROM LIVE TRACKER THREE WHERE YOU CAN SEE THERE A BIG RIG OVER ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. MELANIE WINGO IS GOING TO HAVE MORE ON THAT. AND THE CONDITIONS THAT WE’RE SEEING IN THE SIERRA, WHAT IT’S LIKE TO DRIVE UP THERE. I WANT TO TAKE YOU NOW TO THE CALTRANS CAMERA. THIS IS BACK AT KINGVALE AND THEY’RE HOLDING TRAFFIC. THESE VEHICLES HAVE NOT MOVED HERE IN THE LAST 20 OR SO MINUTES, AS THEY’RE WAITING TO GET THAT INCIDENT CLEAR, IT’S ON THE DOWNSLOPE ON THE EAST SIDE OF DONNER SUMMIT. AND SO THEY DON’T WANT TO SEND A BUNCH OF TRAFFIC THAT WAY AND CAUSE EVEN MORE ACCIDENTS AND MAKE IT DANGEROUS FOR THE FOLKS ON THE SHOULDER. SO DELAYS EASTBOUND 80 WESTBOUND STILL GETTING THROUGH. BUT AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WE DO HAVE CHAIN REQUIREMENTS ON 80 FROM KINGVALE TO DONNER LAKE, HIGHWAY 50 KYBURZ TO MYERS, AND HIGHWAY 88, PEDDLER HILL TO SILVER LAKE. SO BE PREPARED IF YOU’RE HEADING INTO THE MOUNTAINS WESTBOUND 80. WE’RE SEEING SOME MINOR DELAYS COMING DOWN TO THE SPLIT 50 STILL CRUISING ALONG WITH JUST A LITTLE BIT OF SLOWING AROUND. WHAT? HERE’S 80 AT ANTELOPE ROAD. YOU CAN SEE THAT HEAVY TRAFFIC LEADING IN FIVE IS CLEAR. 99 THROUGH FLORIN ROAD. WE’RE SEEING SOME SLOWER TRAFFIC ON THAT SIDE NOW. JUST CONGESTION AND STOCKTON ALL CLEAR. SO 99 IN THE RED AT 20 MINUTES. I5 A 14 MINUTE RIDE. HIGHWAY 50 20 MINUTES AND 80. A 15 MINUTE RIDE FROM ROSEVILLE DOWN TO THE SPLIT. BACK TO YOU GUYS. ALL RIGHT, BRIAN, THANK YOU. OUR WEATHER COVERAGE CONTINUES. IT IS ANOTHER WET COMMUTE IN THE VALLEY. KCRA 3’S MIKE TESELLE IS ON THE ROAD AND LIVE TRACKER THREE. SO, MIKE, WHERE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW? WELL, BEFORE WE HIT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, LOOK OUT THE WINDSHIELD. YOU CAN SEE ALL THE RAINDROPS COLLECTING ON THE WINDSHIELD. OKAY, PAUL, YOU CAN HIT IT SO YOU CAN SEE AS YOU’RE DRIVING HERE ON WESTBOUND HIGHWAY 50. WE’RE GETTING ON 50 AT 65TH STREET, RIGHT TOWARDS THE MERGE POINT WHERE YOU CAN HEAD OFF TO THE CAP CITY, HEADING OUT TOWARDS CAL EXPO. YOU KNOW, SO FAR A RELATIVELY SMOOTH COMMUTE GIVEN IT IS A WET MORNING. WE’VE GOT WET ROADWAYS. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE THE RAINDROPS OBSCURING THE LENS ON OUR ROOFTOP CAMERA. AND OF COURSE, ON THE ROAD WE SEE WATER SPRAYING OFF THOSE TIRES. SO AGAIN, MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU’RE DRIVING OUT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKING BECAUSE YOU WILL HAVE RAIN ON THE WINDSHIELD, OR ESPECIALLY SPRAY COMING UP OFF OF TRUCKS OR BUSSES LIKE THE ONE THAT’S NEXT TO US RIGHT NOW. WESTBOUND HIGHWAY 50 HEADING TOWARDS DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO. DURING THIS MORNING’S COMMUTE. THAT YOUR WET UPDATE FROM LIVE TRACKER THREE HERE IN SACRAMENTO, MIKE TESELLE KCRA THREE NEWS. MIKE, THANKS SO MUCH. LET’S GO OUT TO MELANIE WINGO. SHE IS UP I-80 NEAR DONNER SUMMIT. AND MELANIE, TELL US MORE ABOUT THE CONDITIONS THERE. OKAY, SO WE’RE ON THE WESTBOUND SIDE OF INTERSTATE 80. AND FROM THIS VANTAGE POINT, WE CAN SEE THE INCIDENT THAT BRIAN HICKEY WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT IN THE EASTBOUND LANES. AND IF YOU TUNE IN TO THE DIRECTION THAT TRUCK IS FACING. YEAH, THAT TRUCK IS FACING WEST, AND IT IS IN THE EASTBOUND LANES. SO OBVIOUSLY NOT A GOOD SITUATION OUT HERE. THEY ARE HOLDING TRAFFIC AT KINGVALE BECAUSE OF THIS CRASH. A TOW TRUCK ACCORDING TO BRIAN HICKEY, IS COMING IN FROM SPARKS NEVADA. SO IT’S GOING TO BE A BIT BEFORE THIS IS ALL CLEARED. AND TYPICALLY WHEN YOU HAVE CARS, TRUCKS DRIVING PAST AN INCIDENT LIKE THIS, YOU HAVE SNOW ON THE ROADWAY, SNOW COMING DOWN. IT DOES NOT MAKE IT EASY FOR CALTRANS AND CHP TO CLEAR A SCENE LIKE THIS, UNLESS THEY CLOSE THE ROAD AND KEEP CARS BACK FROM THE INCIDENT SCENE. SO THAT’S WHAT THEY’RE GOING TO BE DOING HERE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR DRIVERS WHO ARE STOPPED AT KINGVALE? WELL, IT IS A GOOD REMINDER TO BE PREPARED FOR WINTER LIKE DRIVING CONDITIONS ALL THROUGHOUT THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS. HAVE THOSE SUPPLIES WITH YOU, BLANKETS, A FULL TANK OF GAS, SOME FOOD, SNACKS, WATER, THAT KIND OF THING IN CASE YOU GET STUCK HELD BACK AS ROAD CREWS CLEAR AN INCIDENT JUST LIKE THIS. THIS IS JUST A PRECURSOR TO WHAT WE SEE ALL THROUGHOUT THE SEASON. BIG RIGS, CARS LOST CONTROL, PERHAPS, AND THEN OFF ONTO THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY AND ROAD. EMERGENCY CREWS HAVE TO DO THEIR PART TO CLEAR IT BEFORE THEY CAN HAVE REGULAR TRAFFIC COME THROUGH. SO THIS IS JUST ONE INCIDENT THAT WE SAW TODAY. THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE EARLIER THIS MORNING IN THE WESTBOUND LANES THAT HAS SINCE BEEN CLEARED. NO ESTIMATE AS TO WHEN THIS PARTICULAR CRASH IS GOING TO BE CLEARED. AS WE DROVE BY IN LIVE TRACKER THREE, IN THE EASTBOUND LANES, WE DID NOTICE THAT THE DRIVER APPEARED TO BE OKAY. THAT DRIVER ALERT AND UP AND IN THE FRONT SEAT OF THAT CAB. SO IT DOESN’T APPEAR THAT THERE ARE ANY INJURIES RELATED TO THIS CRASH. WE’LL KEEP ON TOP OF THE DEVELOPMENTS OUT HERE.
Light rain and snow led to wet roads for the Valley and Foothills on Thursday morning, with chain controls currently in the Sierra. Thursday is a KCRA 3 weather Impact Day because of the potential for minor delays during the morning hours.Valley rainfall will be steadiest between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. on Thursday. A couple of showers are possible in the afternoon, but many places will be dry after 12 p.m. The Sacramento Valley will see between a quarter and a half inch of new rainfall. The Foothills will hang onto light rain and drizzle through at least midday Thursday. Up to an inch of rain is possible in Grass Valley and other communities north of Interstate 80. Areas south of Highway 50 could see up to a half-inch of rain. Snow will start falling before sunrise in the Sierra with the snow level around 5,500 feet on I-80. Accumulation will be steadiest before 10 am. Donner Summit will see 3 to 6 inches of snow. Echo Summit will see 1 to 3 inches. Ebbetts and Sonora Pass could see closer to 10 inches of snow throughout the day Thursday.When enough snow falls, chain controls are likely, reducing to speed limit on I-80 to 30 mph and 25 mph on Highway 50.Sierra chain controls, live road updates Everywhere in Northern California will be dry Thursday evening. A stretch of dry weather will take us through the Thanksgiving holiday.REAL-TIME TRAFFIC MAPClick here to see our interactive traffic map.TRACK INTERACTIVE, DOPPLER RADARClick here to see our interactive radar.DOWNLOAD OUR APP FOR THE LATESTHere is where you can download our app.Follow our KCRA weather team on social mediaMeteorologist Tamara Berg on Facebook and X.Meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn on FacebookMeteorologist/Climate Reporter Heather Waldman on Facebook and X.Meteorologist Kelly Curran on X.Meteorologist Ophelia Young on Facebook and X.Watch our forecasts on TV or onlineHere’s where to find our latest video forecast. You can also watch a livestream of our latest newscast here. The banner on our website turns red when we’re live.We’re also streaming on the Very Local app for Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV.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
Light rain and snow led to wet roads for the Valley and Foothills on Thursday morning, with chain controls currently in the Sierra.
Thursday is a KCRA 3 weather Impact Day because of the potential for minor delays during the morning hours.
Valley rainfall will be steadiest between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. on Thursday. A couple of showers are possible in the afternoon, but many places will be dry after 12 p.m. The Sacramento Valley will see between a quarter and a half inch of new rainfall.
The Foothills will hang onto light rain and drizzle through at least midday Thursday. Up to an inch of rain is possible in Grass Valley and other communities north of Interstate 80. Areas south of Highway 50 could see up to a half-inch of rain.
Snow will start falling before sunrise in the Sierra with the snow level around 5,500 feet on I-80. Accumulation will be steadiest before 10 am.
Donner Summit will see 3 to 6 inches of snow. Echo Summit will see 1 to 3 inches. Ebbetts and Sonora Pass could see closer to 10 inches of snow throughout the day Thursday.
When enough snow falls, chain controls are likely, reducing to speed limit on I-80 to 30 mph and 25 mph on Highway 50.
Sierra chain controls, live road updates
7:38 a.m.: Traffic is being held on I-80 at Kingvale after a big rig crash on eastbound lanes near Donner Summit. There is no estimated time for releasing traffic. See road conditions here.
6:30 a.m.: Chains are required along eastbound Interstate 80 for all vehicles except those with four-wheel drive and snow tires equipped from Kingvale to the Donner Lake Interchange.
For westbound lanes, chains are required for all vehicles except those with four-wheel drive and snow tires equipped from the Donner Lake Interchange to 2.5 miles east of the Highway 20 junction.
Along Highway 50, chains are required for all vehicles except those with four-wheel drive and snow tires equipped from three miles east of Kyburz to Meyers.
Everywhere in Northern California will be dry Thursday evening. A stretch of dry weather will take us through the Thanksgiving holiday.
REAL-TIME TRAFFIC MAP
Click here to see our interactive traffic map.
TRACK INTERACTIVE, DOPPLER RADAR
Click here to see our interactive radar.
DOWNLOAD OUR APP FOR THE LATEST
Here is where you can download our app.
Follow our KCRA weather team on social media
- Meteorologist Tamara Berg on Facebook and X.
- Meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn on Facebook
- Meteorologist/Climate Reporter Heather Waldman on Facebook and X.
- Meteorologist Kelly Curran on X.
- Meteorologist Ophelia Young on Facebook and X.
Watch our forecasts on TV or online
Here’s where to find our latest video forecast. You can also watch a livestream of our latest newscast here. The banner on our website turns red when we’re live.
We’re also streaming on the Very Local app for Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV.
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