With a long holiday weekend ahead, mountain travel could be especially challenging.
A new storm system moving into the North State on Sunday is expected to deliver substantial rain and mountain snow into the middle of next week.
Courtney Carpenter, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Sacramento, says flooding is not expected to be a significant problem but low snow levels are.
“There’s going to be a significant amount of mountain snow even down to the foothills,” Carpenter said. “It’s a holiday weekend this weekend, if you’ve got travel plans Monday coming over the mountains, travel is going to be very difficult.”
Carpenter says the heavy snow load and gusty winds could cause power outages and whiteout conditions at higher elevations.
She says to check road conditions before traveling.
It’s also going to be windy
Strong winds will join heavy rain and low-elevation snow beginning Sunday.
The worst of the wind is expected Tuesday. That day, gusts in Chico could hit up to 38 miles per hour. We’ll see similar conditions across the valley.
Winds should calm down by Thursday.
The Weather Service advises residents to secure any loose outdoor objects before winds pick up.
NSPR’s Erik Adams contributed reporting.
