SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A major storm is headed toward Northern California this weekend, promising to drop heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada and rain throughout the region.
Forecasters say the storm is on track to hit coastal areas north of San Francisco Saturday night and bring light rain.
The heaviest rainfall is expected to come Sunday night into Monday morning as the storm spreads east and south.
Pacific Gas & Electric is sending crews to clear vegetation away from power lines to reduce the chance of electricity outages. Meanwhile, forecasters warned people in the Sierra Nevada to prepare for days of snowfall “that will likely be remembered for years to come.”
Driving conditions:
A major storm ramped up Sunday with snow in Northern California that forced drivers to wrap their tires in chains and light rain in the lower elevations.
Chain controls are in effect on Interstate 80 from Cisco Grove to Truckee in both directions, according to CHP. Chains or snow tires are required for all non four-wheel drive vehicles to make it through the Echo Summit Pass.
All this before the first official day of winter has even arrived.
"We're nine days before winter but we're already in winter-like weather," said Gilbert Mohtes-Chan, spokesperson for Caltrans.
Wind and rain are expected to intensify overnight and make the commute for Monday morning a challenging one.
Tim Weisberg, spokesperson for the California Officer of Traffic Safety, says if people can avoid driving on the roads tomorrow, then they should do so. If people have to go out, then he says people should take it slow.
"I would suggest 10 miles below the speed limit because of those conditions and the risk of hydroplaning," he said.
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IN-DEPTH FORECAST: Pineapple express and atmospheric river explained by meteorologist Monica Woods. The atmospheric river, also known as the pineapple express has the potential to dump a lot of rain and snow on California.
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