LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The National Weather Service’s latest forecast for the coming week describes incoming storm systems, one of which has the potential to bring more heavy snow, wind and power outages.
Lake County is under a winter storm warning that goes into effect at 10 p.m. Sunday and will remain active until 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Forecasters said a series of two storm systems will bring widespread precipitation to the North Coast region Sunday through Tuesday night, and heavy snow is expected in the mountains along with some interior valley locations.
Further to the east, the Sierras are under a blizzard warning, from early Monday through early Wednesday.
Back on the North Coast, the National Weather Service said the heaviest snow is expected Monday through Tuesday night, along with potential for isolated thunderstorms with small hail.
The forecast said the first of the two systems was expected to arrive overnight, bringing several inches of snow above the 3,000 foot elevation level in Lake County.
What forecasters call “a much more notable system” will begin to impact the North Coast region on Sunday night as strong southerly winds increase ahead of an advancing weather front.
The forecast said the second system “is looking quite potent,” and thunderstorms may be possible.
Gusty winds of 30 to 50 miles per hour will be possible on exposed ridges in Lake County. The forecast explains that the winds will still be ongoing as precipitation begins, and at elevations above the snow level, there will be a brief window of time — two to six hours — where near blizzard conditions could develop.
Early Monday could see heavy snowfall in elevations over 2,000 to 2,500 feet, with snow dropping to above 1,000 and 2,000 feet in elevation later in the day.
“There is still uncertainty as to how low snow levels go, but right now the greatest impacts are expected to be at elevations over 1,500 feet in all counties except Trinity where snow levels will likely remain around 1,000 feet,” the forecast said.
The forecast said showers will continue through Tuesday and into Tuesday night.
“This storm system has the potential to be very high impact for the region with numerous power outages caused from the heavy snow load and gusty winds,” the forecast noted.
Forecasters expect the showers to taper off late Tuesday night into Wednesday, adding that “the next storm of note may arrive late in the week into next weekend.”
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
A Pacific Gas and Electric map shows the thousands of customers in Lake County, California, that remained without power on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. Courtesy image. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — With thousands of Lake County residents remaining out of power due to this week’s snowstorm, and as another storm is anticipated to arrive on Sunday, officials are extending warming hours and urging community members to be prepared.
The National Weather Service’s Eureka office is forecasting rain during the day on Sunday in Lake County and the potential for more rain and snow on Sunday night.
That is expected to be followed by gusty winds along with more snow falling at the 1,000 foot elevation level on Monday night and into Tuesday.
Forecasters said heavy mountain snow could fall above 2,000 feet from Sunday through Tuesday across the North Coast.
On Friday, Sheriff Rob Howe declared a local emergency in response to the storm that hit earlier this week, bringing low elevation snow that knocked out power across a large swath of Lake County, as Lake County News has reported.
In a Facebook message on Saturday, Howe urged people to be cautious and prepared, and to take care of each other, as the forecast calls for the weather event to continue through the early part of this coming week.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said Saturday afternoon that its crews are continuing to assess damage and restore service to the 33,600 customers in Lake County whose power was knocked out by the low elevation storm, which dropped several inches of snow across the county.
As of 1:30 p.m., PG&E said approximately 19,300 customers remained without power in Lake County.
In the previous 24 hours, PG&E reported that it had restored service to approximately 12,000 Lake County customers.
PG&E said hundreds of PG&E personnel and contractors are on the ground restoring customers in PG&E’s Humboldt Division, which includes Lake, Mendocino and Humboldt counties.
Those crews include 88 four-person electric crews, 26 Tmen — PG&E’s first responders — as well as 45 inspectors and 53 personnel. There also are 138 vegetation-management workers removing trees and limbs from power lines on duty in the Humboldt Division.
The city of Lakeport, California, reported that snow continues to cover road shoulders and sidewalks in many parts of the city. Courtesy photo. Offering a respite from the weather are two warming centers that are now open in Lake County to offer shelter during the winter weather.
The Lakeport warming center, located at 1111 Whalen Way in Lakeport, opened earlier this month to serve individuals experiencing homelessness. It has now extended its hours to seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
In response to the unprecedented snowfall, life-threatening temperatures and the additional weather event on the way, on Friday the city of Clearlake partnered with the county of Lake to open a warming center at the Clearlake Senior Center, located at 3245 Bowers Road.
Initially, the weather event was expected to end on Feb. 26, at which point officials planned to close the Clearlake warming center.
However, with the National Weather Service reporting that another weather event is inbound and could continue until Tuesday, the county said the Clearlake facility’s operation as a warming center will be extended.
The temporary Clearlake Senior Center warming center will close at noon on Sunday, Feb. 26, for maintenance purposes, and will reopen during new evening hours beginning Monday, Feb. 27, and Tuesday, Feb. 28. It will be open from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. both days.
Visitors must register and no pets, weapons, alcohol, or drugs are allowed.
The city of Clearlake, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, the Lake County Department of Social Services and Lake County Behavioral Health are working together to provide cots, blankets, light food and snacks to those in need at the center.
PG&E said it has provided 500 grab-and-go bags that include a blanket, water, snacks and a portable cellphone charger which are being distributed at the Clearlake and Lakeport warming centers. The company said it also has provided a generator at the Lakeport warming center.
PG&E also partners with the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers, including 16 centers in 36 counties, to offer support for older adults and people with disabilities. Customers who are reliant on a medical device or assistive technology for independent living can find resources by contacting 2-1-1. So far, approximately 31 Lake County customers have reached out to PG&E or 2-1-1 for additional support.
The company said it also has been reaching out to Medical Baseline program customers to provide 2-1-1 as a support line and referring customers to available resources based on their needs.
Sheriff Howe reported the county is working to get generators up and running at additional locations, including the Little Red Schoolhouse in Cobb, 15780 Bottle Rock Road; the Kelseyville Senior Center, 5245 Third St.; Lucerne Alpine Senior Center, 3985 Country Club Drive; and the Habematolel Community Center, 9470 Main St. in Upper Lake.
In Lakeport, city officials reported that its personnel are continuing to respond to storm related issues.
The city said that frozen snow continues to cover roadway shoulders and sidewalks in many areas of the city. As such, motorists are asked to drive slowly and watch for pedestrians.
Public Works crews will be clearing downed trees on the city right of way along roads on Monday, the city of Lakeport reported.
Also on Saturday, the Lake County Department of Public Works said crews were making their way through areas including Cobb and Kelseyville to plow snow from the roads.
The agency reported on its Facebook page that a small crew was running a plow and sanding truck through Riviera Heights, Riviera West and Buckingham areas, with more personnel on Cobb trying to open up the remainder of Harrington Flat Road and replowing Gifford Springs Road.
“Secondary roadways in the Cobb area will be scheduled for this coming week,” Public Works reported.
Lake County Public Works said requests for immediate help for road clearing must go through the California Highway Patrol’s dispatch.
PG&E customers who are reliant on a medical device or assistive technology for independent living can find resources by contacting 2-1-1. As of Saturday, approximately 31 Lake County customers have reached out to PG&E or 2-1-1 for additional support.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The newly opened warming center in Lakeport is extending its hours during the snow event that has resulted in freezing temperatures and power outages to Lake County.
The warming center, run by Sunrise Special Services Foundation and funded by Lake County Behavioral Health Services, is located at 1111 Whalen Way in Lakeport in the county’s former juvenile hall facility which during the pandemic also has been used as a shelter for homeless individuals.
The center currently is providing shelter to those individuals experiencing homelessness to get out of the cold, have a warm place to sleep and get meals.
While its normal operating hours are 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily, during this unprecedented weather event, the center will run around the clock, seven days a week.
For more information, please contact the warming center directly at 707-349-5022.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clearlake Police Department is investigating a crash that killed a pedestrian last week and is seeking witnesses of the incident.
The crash occurred on the evening of Wednesday, Feb. 22.
The department said that at approximately 7:27 p.m. its officers responded to Old Highway 53 near Clement Avenue for a report of a traffic collision involving a vehicle and a pedestrian.
Upon their arrival, the officers found the collision involved a gray Chevrolet Silverado and a pedestrian.
The pedestrian, a male in his late 50s whose name has so far not been released, was pronounced deceased at the scene, police said.
If you witnessed the collision, please contact Sgt. Michael Perreault by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at 707-994-8251.
While the snow has caused power outages and damage around Lake County, California, it’s also created some beautiful landscapes. Gabriel Medina took this picture of Jago Bay and Clearlake, California, on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — In response to this week’s heavy snowfall and its impacts on Lake County, Sheriff Rob Howe on Friday declared a local emergency.
Howe’s local emergency declaration specifically cites the low elevation snow and extreme cold that have left much of Lake County without power and led to closed roadways and crashes.
“As the forecasted weather has the potential to create conditions that are beyond the control and management capacity of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of Lake County, this declaration allows for the County to receive additional support not otherwise available,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a Friday afternoon statement.
This is the second local emergency declaration for Howe, who became sheriff at the start of the year. The first declaration was in response to the series of atmospheric rivers that began at Christmas and extended into January.
Such declarations generally have to be ratified by the Board of Supervisors within seven days. It’s expected the board will take up the declaration as a special item at its Tuesday meeting.
The Sheriff’s Office said the state of local emergency will continue to exist until the Board of Supervisors declares its termination.
The Office of Emergency Services will continue to monitor and coordinate with local, state and federal agencies where appropriate to respond to this winter weather event as it evolves, the agency said.
Meanwhile, across Lake County, residents dealt with issues that included falling trees, damaged roofs and awnings, and other fallout of the storm.
Many longtime residents report that this is either the heaviest snowfall they have seen in Lake County or that they’ve not seen such a storm for several decades.
And the forecast indicates there could be more snow to come.
While forecasters said the heaviest of the snow fell on Thursday, more snow is anticipated to fall beginning on Saturday and continuing through Tuesday.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for Lake County that’s in effect from 10 p.m. Sunday through 4 p.m. Tuesday, with heavy snow possible above the 1,500 foot elevation mark.
In that elevation, the forecast expects snowfall of between 5 and 14 inches, with one to five inches at lower elevations, combined with wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour on exposed ridges.
Chances of rain also are in the forecast through Tuesday night, the National Weather Service said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Jamesa Stokes is a materials research engineer with NASA. She works in a special laboratory testing advanced materials to see how they behave in extreme space environments. Image credit: NASA/Jef Janis. Jamesa Stokes' path to being an engineer at NASA started out on a completely different road.
While she loved and excelled at math and science, she was also passionate about studio art, her first major in college.
But knowing that science can also be a creative pursuit, she switched to physics and embarked on a journey to NASA when she reached grad school.
Stokes, who received her bachelor’s degree in Physics from Auburn University and a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the Pennsylvania State University, was awarded a graduate fellowship to conduct research at NASA Glenn.
She later became a NASA intern and converted to a full-time materials research engineer when she finished her Ph.D.
“Working at NASA means tackling the bigger problems we face for the benefit of society,” said Stokes. “My job is to develop and understand how advanced materials behave in the extreme environments of space. It will help protect not only the lives of astronauts but also flight vehicles.”
Are you considering a STEM career? Stokes says there are many ways to reach your goal.
“There is no required path to becoming a scientist or engineer nor is there one way a scientist or engineer is supposed to act or look,” she said. “Never let anyone discourage you from pursuing what you like and remember that you can always be more than whatever societal conventions envision your future to be. Participate in STEM clubs and activities to figure out what makes you passionate about science and engineering.”
Wändi Bruine de Bruin, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and Mark Huffman, Washington University in St Louis
Stunning as it may sound, nearly half of Americans ages 20 years and up – or more than 122 million people – have high blood pressure, according to a 2023 report from the American Heart Association. And even if your numbers are normal right now, they are likely to increase as you age; more than three-quarters of Americans age 65 and older have high blood pressure.
Also known as hypertension, high blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
Our research has found that most Americans don’t know the normal or healthy range for blood pressure – yet strikingly, they think they do. And that is cause for serious concern.
A healthy diet, more exercise and less salt and alcohol are all ways to improve your blood pressure numbers.
False confidence, deadly consequences
Such false confidence can be harmful because it may prevent people from seeking care for high blood pressure. After all, if you think it’s normal, why bother talking to your doctor about your blood pressure?
Part of the reason for this overconfidence begins in the doctor’s office. Typically, a nurse brings over a blood pressure cuff, straps it on your upper arm and takes a reading. The nurse may announce the result, remove the cuff and record it for the doctor.
When the doctor arrives, the session may well move on to other matters without a word about the blood pressure reading. This likely happens because your doctor wants to focus on how you’re feeling and why you’re there. But as a result, you may leave your appointment thinking your blood pressure is fine, even if it’s not.
To lower your risk of heart attacks and strokes, it’s critical to understand your blood pressure readings. This is especially true for patients with conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes.
Normal or healthy blood pressure is less than 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) for adults. This is a unit of measurement that stems from early blood pressure monitors, which looked at how far your blood pressure could push a column of liquid mercury. For most patients, lower tends to be better.
Stage 1 hypertension, which is the lower stage of high blood pressure, begins at 130/80. Stage 2 hypertension, which is the more severe stage of high blood pressure, begins at 140/90. Both numbers are critically important, because every increase of 20 millimeters of mercury in systolic blood pressure, or 10 in diastolic blood pressure, doubles a person’s chances of dying from a heart attack or stroke.
10 tips for healthier blood pressure
To avoid false confidence, ask about your blood pressure at every doctor’s visit, and find out what the numbers mean. If your blood pressure is above the normal or healthy range, then the American Heart Association recommends the following 10 tips.
Talk with your doctor. If your blood pressure is high, ask your doctor about strategies for lowering it, and how you can track your blood pressure at home.
Eat a heart-healthy diet. Vegetables, fruit, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, skinless poultry and fish, nuts and legumes, and olive oil are all good for your heart. Red meat, saturated and trans fats and ultraprocessed foods are unhealthy for your heart.
Limit your alcohol use. Whether it’s beer, wine or spirits, alcohol increases your blood pressure. It’s better to not drink alcohol, but if you do, observe the limits recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. For women, that’s one drink per day at the very most. For men, it’s two drinks per day at most. One drink is 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits or 1 ounce of 100-proof spirits.
Be more physically active. Just two and a half hours per week of physical activity can help lower blood pressure. For example, that’s a 30-minute walk five days a week. You might also switch up your physical activity by swimming, lifting weights, doing yoga or going dancing.
Manage stress, which is bad for your blood pressure. While stress relief doesn’t always lower blood pressure, bringing down your stress level can help you feel better. The Mayo Clinic recommends several ways to manage stress, including learning to say no sometimes, spending time with family and friends and meditating.
Take medication, which is often recommended for people with stage 2 hypertension, and for some with stage 1 hypertension, including those who also have heart disease, kidney disease or diabetes. Most patients need two to three medications to lower blood pressure to normal or healthy levels. A recent meta-analysis demonstrated that lowering systolic blood pressure by 5 mm Hg through medication reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events by about 10%, irrespective of baseline blood pressure or previous diagnosis of cardiovascular disease.
Track your blood pressure at home. The American Heart Association recommends an automatic, validated cuff-style monitor that goes on your upper arm. A record of readings taken over time can help your doctor adjust your treatments as needed.
High blood pressure is a silent killer. Being proactive and knowing your numbers can be a lifesaver.
John Amoroso. Photo courtesy of the Clearlake Police Department. CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clearlake Police Department is attempting to locate a man last seen earlier this week.
John William Amoroso, 42, was last known to be in the Lakeport area, with a last contact on Wednesday.
Amoroso is described as a white male adult, with red shoulder length hair and brown eyes. He is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds.
Police said he was last seen wearing a blue T-shirt and black pants.
If you have information regarding his whereabouts please contact the Clearlake Police Department at 707-994-8251, Extension 1.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A large part of Lake County remained without power on Friday in the wake of a winter storm that’s expected to be followed by freezing conditions on Friday and Saturday nights.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. reported that 33,600 of its customers in Lake County remained without power on Friday morning due to 40 separate weather-related outages.
The company’s outage map showed that the outages remained in effect throughout the county on Friday afternoon. The outages were attributed to weather and many did not have estimated times for restoration.
That’s of particular concern due to the ongoing weather situation.
While the National Weather Service’s Eureka office said more snowfall isn’t expected until Saturday evening, that agency also is forecasting a hard freeze to take place on Friday and Saturday nights, with temperature falling into the mid- to low 20s around Lake County.
The snow and freezing temperatures are raising other challenges as well.
In the city of Lakeport, the police department said that the significant fresh snow is bringing a lot of pedestrians into the roadways as sidewalks are difficult to traverse and children have been found playing in the snow on side streets.
Police asked drivers to use caution, to drive slowly because of increased stopping distances and to be aware of pedestrians walking in the roadways.
The hard freeze, “coupled with melting snow during today will likely result in a large accumulation of ice in the roadways, parking lots and hard walking surfaces. Use great caution when driving and walking,” the police department reported.
Across the lake, the Clearlake Police Department urged community members to avoid travel unless absolutely necessary.
“Hazardous conditions throughout the city, including power lines down and trees blocking multiple roadways. PG&E and Public Works are working to clear hazards,” the agency reported.
Officials reported that the weather conditions also had led to limited county services, and they also urged people not to travel if they don’t need to.
The California Highway Patrol reported that Bottle Rock Road near Kelseyville is closed and there is a hard road closure in the area of Bradford Road and Highway 29 near Middletown.
Road conditions remain hazardous throughout the county due to the snowfall on Thursday and overnight.
The Lake County Public Works Department reported on its Facebook page Friday that opening roads is now their primary concern, with staff maxed out and running around the clock.
The department asked for patience, noting that every road in the Kelseyville Rivieras, Cobb and the hills around Clear Lake are experiencing large amounts of snow.
The Lake County Public Services Department said Friday there will be temporary facility and garbage service route closures due to weather conditions.
Facilities to be closed include the Eastlake Landfill in Clearlake, Lake County Waste Solutions Transfer Station and Recycle Yard in Lakeport; the South Lake Refuse and Recycle Yard and Quackenbush Mountain Resource Recovery Park in Clearlake.
Residential and commercial garbage service for both Lake County Waste Solutions and South Lake Refuse will not be running Friday. All facilities and service routes are tentatively planned to reopen or resume operations on Saturday.
If departments are managing unusually high call volume with limited staff, some delay in response may occur.
Solid waste/recycling
Public Services for the Eastlake Landfill: 707-262-1618 Lake County Waste Solutions: 707-234-6400 South Lake Refuse and Recycling: 707-994-8613
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Albert Antoine at work in the 10-By 10-Superosonic Wind Tunnel Office Building in July 1981. Credits: NASA. In the summer of 1954, a young chemist named Albert Antoine was visiting Cleveland to interview for a job with a rayon manufacturer, when a former university classmate recommended that he apply at the NACA Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory (today, NASA Glenn).
Antoine took the advice and soon began a career at the center that spanned over four decades and multiple fields of research.
While attending City College in New York City during World War II Antoine was drafted into the military. He qualified for the Army Specialized Training Program and was sent to Ohio State University to study civil engineering.
He completed his Bachelor of Science degree after the war and went on to earn his doctorate in chemistry at Ohio State in 1953.
When Antoine joined the NACA in August 1954, the Lewis laboratory was examining new high-energy propellant combinations that could dramatically increase the performance of military aircraft and missiles. He was assigned to a small group that analyzed boron and hydrazine-based compounds. Although these chemicals did increase energy levels, the toxicity and combustion byproducts ultimately made their use impractical.
Lewis began phasing out its exotic propellants work in the early 1960s, as the clean-burning hydrogen-oxygen combination was selected for NASA’s new upper-stage rockets. Antoine applied his expertise to the study of electrical power systems for spacecraft.
At the time, little was known about the properties of liquid metals being considered as the working fluid for some of the proposed high-efficiency systems. Antoine provided the basic thermodynamic data for mercury paired with either cesium or sodium.
During this period, Antoine joined forces with five Black colleagues to encourage underrepresented and minority students to pursue careers in space. The group’s weekly science club meetings led to NASA-sponsored events at local high schools.
In addition, Antoine’s visits to historically Black universities in southwestern Ohio led to the center’s enduring affiliations with the institutions. Antoine’s mentoring activities continued in various forms throughout his career.
In the 1970s, Lewis began applying its technical expertise to problems on Earth. As a member of the new Combustion and Pollution Research Branch, Antoine helped develop new instruments to accurately measure airborne particulate matter. These tools were used to study pollution in the Cleveland area and in air lanes across the country.
In response to the energy crisis of the 1970s, the center studied both renewable energy sources and alternative fossil fuel sources such as coal and oil shale. Antoine and his colleagues analyzed the composition of these non-petroleum fuels and assessed their storage, stability, and emissions characteristics.
Antoine authored the summary report in 1982, just before the stabilization of global energy resources led to the cancellation of the program.
Antoine retired from government service in 1983, but immediately returned to his work at Lewis as a research associate through a cooperative agreement with Cleveland State University, or CSU.
Over the next 13 years he managed NASA-sponsored research in batteries and fuel cells. Antoine and his CSU colleagues were an integral part of the NASA team that advanced the phosphoric acid fuel cell technology to the point of commercialization.
Antoine retired for good in 1996 after 42 years of work at NASA. He passed away in 2017 at the age of 92.
Robert S. Arrighi works for the NASA Glenn Research Center.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Due to the unprecedented snowfall and life-threatening temperatures, the city of Clearlake has partnered with the county of Lake to open the Clearlake Senior Center as a warming shelter during this weather event.
The center is Located at 3245 Bowers Road, within the city of Clearlake.
The city of Clearlake, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake County Department of Social Services and Lake County Behavioral Health are working together to provide cots, blankets, light food and snacks to those in need.
The Clearlake Senior Center temporarily operating as a warming shelter will remain open 24 hours a day or as needed until noon on Sunday, Feb. 26.
Visitors must register and no pets, weapons, alcohol or drugs are allowed.
For more information contact Sunrise Special Services at 707-349-5022.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — As forecasters predicted, snow coated Lake County on Thursday, leading to numerous motorists stuck in snow or spinning out, power outages and closed schools.
While areas like Cobb often get snow throughout the winter, the snowfall taking place this week has been reported across all Lake County communities, and is the heaviest to occur countywide in years.
Light snowfall started in areas including the Northshore on Thursday morning, continuing on and off into the evening, when snow began to accumulate.
By nightfall, several inches of snow were coating the landscape, turning Lake County into a winter wonderland.
However, while lovely to look at, the snow created dangerous conditions for drivers that are still present on Friday.
Shortly before 4:30 a.m. Friday, the Clearlake Police Department issued a Nixle alert warning that there are hazardous conditions all over the city.
Be alert of snow covered roads, trees, and power lines down in roadway all over the city. Many roads may be blocked or partially blocked. We are working to get the roads cleared as soon as possible, until then avoid traveling unless necessary,” the agency said.
On Thursday, as the storm was strengthening over Lake County, the California Highway Patrol’s online incidents page recorded dozens of spinouts, strandings and some minor vehicle crashes from one end of the county to the other.
The CHP said chain control was put into effect on a portion of Highway 175 early Thursday evening due to the heavy snow there.
Cars, trucks and even big rigs were reported to be stuck due to the snow as the evening went on.
On Highway 20 at Blue Lakes, multiple vehicles were reported to be struck in the snow at around 6:45 p.m., the CHP said.
As many as eight vehicles were stuck in the snow at Robin Hill Drive and Lakeshore Boulevard in north Lakeport at about 7:45 p.m.
At about the same time, there also were vehicles stranded on Highway 20 at Red Rock Road and Highway 20 between Highway 53 and New Long Valley Road near Clearlake Oaks and on portions of Soda Bay Road in Kelseyville, according to the CHP.
Just before 8:45 p.m., the CHP reported that multiple vehicles were stranded in the snow at Highway 20 and Scotts Valley Road near Upper Lake.
Shortly after 9 p.m., about 20 cars were reported to be stuck on the Coyote Grade between Hofacker Lane and Hidden Valley Lake.
That also was the case in the area of Highway 53 and Highway 20 near Clearlake Oaks, where numerous vehicles were reported to be stuck in the roadway shortly before 10 p.m.
Just before midnight, the CHP said an unmanned hard closure was in effect for Highway 29 at Spruce Grove Road North near Lower Lake
Elsewhere around the county, snow caused downed trees and branches, resulting in trees going into power lines and causing numerous outages across the county, according to Pacific Gas and Electric.
Lori Price, a staffer with Lake County Public Works who oversees the agency’s Facebook page, posted online Thursday evening that plows in the Kelseyville area were working their way from Kelseyville proper out through Soda Bay towards the Riviera, with the hopes they would make it to Cobb.
“This isn't going to be a quick job,” she said. “Please plan on staying home.”
Price said crews are working in three staggered, overlapping shifts, with only two to three employees per shift to operate sanding trucks and trucks with blades, “and snow everywhere.”
She added, “It's going to be a very long night.”
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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