Update, Feb. 3
The National Weather Service has upgraded its forecast for winds in the Sacramento region Saturday evening into Sunday, with gusts expected to reach 50-70 mph. There are cautioning residents to prepare for possible power outages and downed trees.
Here are tips on what to do if a tree falls near your home.
Original Story
The first of two atmospheric river storms dropped about an inch of rain in the Sacramento region this week, but a second system is on its way, which could bring renewed flooding concerns and extremely difficult travel in the Sierra.
This second storm is expected late Saturday into Sunday, with impacts into Tuesday.
“The highest impact from that storm system is expected Sunday into Monday and things kind of taper off as we head into Tuesday,” said Courtney Carpenter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento.
She said the storm will travel into the region from the south, meaning the worst impacts will be along the along the southern and central California coasts.
“But we will see impacts here locally, especially when we talk about heavy, heavy mountain snow and Sierra travel issues across the passes,” Carpenter said.
Sacramento could see around 2-3 inches of rain from Sunday through Thursday, with water ponding on roadways and some “nuisance” flooding in the region. A flood watch will be in effect for much of the region from Sunday through Monday night.
A wind advisory will also be in effect from 10 p.m. Saturday through 10 p.m. Sunday for areas generally south of Interstate 80 — including Highway 50 and state Route 99 — with gusts up to 50 mph possible. The wet weather could also lead to rock slides in some areas.
Still, Carpenter said mountain snow “is gonna be the main story.”
“Expecting a lot of travel issues, especially for people trying to get to and from the mountains Sunday when we see those increased travel rates,” she said.
Snow levels will start between 2,500 to 4,500 feet on Sunday morning and rise to between 4,000 to 6,000 feet by Sunday night. Around 2 feet of new snow is expected at the higher elevations.
A winter storm warning is in effect from Sunday through Tuesday.
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