Thousands of people are still waiting for power to be restored and roads to be cleared after a blizzard swept across Northern California over the weekend.
But there is no rest for the weary, as the next storm adds snowfall to the already snow-covered mountains.
With another foot or two of snow expected across the Sierra Nevada by Wednesday, the National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning to replace the blizzard warning.
“Mountain travel will continue to be extremely dangerous or impossible and will remain difficult at best through Tuesday night,” NWS Sacramento forecasters said in a forecast discussion.
The snow has stopped for a while, but it will return again into Tuesday.
Although blizzard-like conditions are not expected, the 8 to 10 feet of snow that fell over the weekend, and more snow, is expected to bring wind gusts up to 45 mph.
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Wind gusts of 25 to 35 mph are also possible in the Sacramento Valley.
Parts of Tahoe’s ski community are cut off as deep snow and one- to two-story-high snowdrifts block highways and interstates.
Crews slowly move cars onto Interstate 80 after it was closed due to snow. Another highway was also cleared, with crews conducting occasional traffic controls to eliminate spinouts and control avalanches.
Locals call the wet, heavy snow of the Sierra Nevada Mountains “Sierra Cement.” And that cement caused major damage to snowplows.
The snow ruined two out of 10 snow blowers at Caltrans’ main locations, and six out of 20 total from the California foothills to the Nevada border.
The next system will be even warmer, with snow levels starting at about 2,000 feet but climbing up to 3,000 to 4,000 feet into Wednesday.
That still means a few inches in hilly areas and 1 to 4 feet at higher elevations.
Even the highest elevations of the coastal region could receive 1 to 2 feet of snow.
Rain is expected to fall from lower elevations to the coast.
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The heaviest rain will fall on the extreme Northern California coast and Oregon, where more than 3 inches of rain could fall more quickly.
It’s raining on saturated ground, so watch out for landslides and ponds on the road.
Next storm hits Southern California
The next storm forming in the Pacific Ocean will head south, giving Northern California a much-needed respite.
Widespread rain will fall across Southern California during the Wednesday morning commute. The amount of rain isn’t too much, about 0.5 to 1 inch, but you don’t need that much rain to make your commute a big deal.
The Golden State will become a little drier and warmer later in the week, with another storm starting to form off the West Coast next weekend.
