LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The new year started with heavy rainfall overnight as well as snow in parts of Lake County.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for Lake and surrounding counties Friday night that lasts until noon on Saturday.

Rain and snow are expected to continue to fall across the region, with moderate to heavy snow showers falling New Year's morning, the National Weather Service said.

Forecasters said the snow level is expected to dip below 1,000 feet, where 2 to 4 inches of snow could fall, while 6 to 10 inches of snow are expected above the 3,000 foot level.

In the Lake County area, the National Weather Service predicted 1 to 2 inches overnight.

Lake County News received reports from area residents of snow falling in Clearlake Oaks, Clearlake, Lucerne and Cobb, and from Lakeport to outside of Hopland on Friday evening.

 

Officials urged drivers to be cautious out on the roads.

The California Highway Patrol reported vehicles sliding off of Highway 175 near Cobb early Saturday morning, with snow plows reported to be at work in the area of Highway 29 and Seigler Springs Road and a lot of snow on Bottle Rock Road.

On Highway 29 over Mount St. Helena, the CHP reported several vehicles were stuck in the snow, including a tour bus and five to six other cars.

Calls were put out to the Napa County Roads Department as well as to Caltrans for assistance at about 3:30 a.m. CHP reported that AAA could not respond to the Mount St. Helena situation due to the snow.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .