- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Lake County under winter weather advisory through Christmas Eve night
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for all of Lake County and other parts of Northern California due to concerns for heavy rains and winds, and the potential for snow.
The winter weather advisory went into effect at 10 p.m. Wednesday and continues until 10 p.m. Thursday.
The National Weather Service said a cold, quick-hitting winter storm is expected to bring low elevation snow through the region into Thursday night, with heaviest storm conditions expected from midnight through Thursday afternoon.
The forecast calls for snow falling as low as 1,500 feet elevation, with accumulations of 4 to 8 inches above 2,500 feet and up to a foot possible on higher peaks.
In Lake County, the National Weather Service anticipates that if snow falls there could between 1 and 2 inches in lower elevations and 12 inches in the mountains.
Roads across the region expected to be impacted by the anticipated snowfall include Highway 20 west of Upper Lake, Highway 175 over Cobb Mountain, Highway 162/Mendocino Pass Road, Interstate 5 north of Redding, and Highway 299 west of Redding over Buckhorn Summit and east of Redding over Hatchet Mountain Pass.
While snow is a possibility, Lake County's specific forecast calls primarily for heavy rainstorms with up to half an inch of rain possible in the day and up to a tenth of inch at night, and wind gusts up to 23 miles per hour. Nighttime lows will be in the low 30s and daytime highs in the mid 40s.
There also is a chance of rain on Christmas day, with sunny conditions during the day Saturday. Chances of showers are forecast to return on Sunday and will run into the middle of next week.
Those who will be on the road for the Christmas holiday are urged to plan ahead and be prepared for travel delays and stormy conditions. Those traveling through higher elevations should have chains on hand.
Call 1-800-427-7623 (ROAD) for road conditions or visit Caltrans' Web page at http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ to check out current road closures and chain control requirements.
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.