Sierra could see more than 4 feet of snow through MLK weekend

THIS IS KCRA 3 NEWS AT 6:00. GULSTAN: THANKS FOR JOINING US. MORE RAIN AND SNOW FALLING TONIGHT IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. THIS IS A LIVE LOOK AT CONDITIONS. OUR STRING OF WET WEATHER GOES ON. EDIE: THE RAIN COMES AS CREWS CONTINUE TO CLEAN UP FROM THE PREVIOUS STORMS. WE WANT TO START TONIGHT WITH A LOOK AT THE CURRENT CONDITIONS AND OUR CHIEF METEOROLOGIST MARK FINAN. MARK: WE HAD RAIN ACROSS THE AREA. BUT YOU WOULD NOT CALL TODAY STORMY. IT HAS BEEN A GENTLE RAIN. NOT MUCH WIND AND WARMER THAN IT WAS DURING THE DAY YESTERDAY. THIS AREA OF LIGHT RAIN IS MOVING ACROSS. BUT MOST AREAS HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF TENS OF AN INCH OF RAIN OR LESS. NOT THE RAIN THAT CAUSES US ISSUES. THE STEADY AS RAIN IS PUSHING THROUGH THE FOOTHILLS. THAT HAS MOVED EAST ALONG HIGHWAY FOUR. HIGHWAY 49, THROUGH SAN ANDREAS WE ARE GETTING NICE RAIN, ESPECIALLY FARTHER UP THE HILL. C1 GULSTAN: SHE IS A LOOK AT THE CONDITIONS. >> SLOW AND STEADY. THAT WAS THE GOAL. AT LEAST FOR MOST DRIVERS TRAVELING DO THIS SIERRA ON INTERSTATE 80. LIKE EDRIS SAFI, HEADING HOME TO VACAVILLE. >> I MEAN IT’S SNOWING PRETTY BAD BUT SO FAR HASN’T REALLY AFFECTED OUR TRIP. IT’S BEEN FUN. LYSEE: HIS BUDDY, ALINA. >> SIT. LYSEE: CERTAINLY SEEMED TO AGREE. >> SHE LOVES THE SNOW. LYSEE: THERE WAS PLENTY TO PLAY IN. PILING UP OVER TIME AFTER A SERIES OF STORMS, THAT STUCK OUT EVEN TO THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE AREA. >> THE CONSISTENCY OF IT HAS BEEN DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I’VE EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST. LYSEE: MOUNDS OF SNOW LINED ROADWAYS AND NEARLY BURIED TRAFFIC SIGNS. >> AT LEAST ONE DRIVER’S GOING TO HAVE TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF DIGGING BEFORE THEY CAN GET BACK ON THE ROAD. CHECK OUT ALL THE SNOW THAT PILED UP OVER HERE ON TOP OF THIS CAR. BUT THE SNOW WAS CLEARED WHERE IT COUNTS. ALLOWING TRAFFIC TO MOVE ALONG. ASIDE FROM SOME SLOWDOWNS APPROACHING CHAIN CONTROL AREAS. NOTHING SURPRISING FOR RACHAEL DEVLIN. >> THIS IS AS EXPECTED. AS ADVERTISED. YEAH WE MADE SURE TO LOOK AT CALTRANS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF BEFORE WE CAME. LYSEE: AND AFTER GETTING HER CHAINS ON. SHE WAS READY TO ENJOY THE VIEW ALONG THE WAY. >> BEAUTIFUL. LYSEE: LYSEE MITRI, KCRA 3 NEWS. EDIE: CHAIN CONTROLS WERE IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF THE DAY. ABOUT 4:00 CALTRANS ANNOUNCED THEY’D DROPPED THE REQUIREMENTS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS ON I-80. GULSTAN: HERE IS A LOOK AT WHAT CONDITIONS ARE LIKE OVER AT ECHO SUMMIT ON HIGHWAY 50. WE SPOTTED A CAR THAT HAD SPUN OUT AROUD 5:00 TONIGHT. THAT LED TO ONE LANE BEING CLOSED. INCIDENTS LIKE THIS IS WHY THE CHP URGES PEOPLE TO SLOW DOWN WHILE DRIVING IN THE SNOW. AN ELK GROVE MAN WAS KILLED IN A CRASH IN MENDOCINO COUNTY. TRYING TO RESTORE POWER AFTER THE WEEKEND STORM. EDGAR CASTILLO WAS WORKING WITH MOUNTAIN ENTERPRISES, A CONTRACTOR FOR PG&E. ON SATURDAY, THEIR BUCKET TRUCK LOST CONTROL AND ROLLED OFF THE HIGHWAY. THE CREW WAS TRAVELING TOWARDS POINT ARENA TO PERFORM VEGETATION MANAGEMENT WORK IN SUPPORT OF PG&E’S ELECTRIC RESTORATION ACTIVITIES. EDIE: A CHICKEN FARM IN ACAMPO, IS FACING ROUGHLY $50,000 IN DAMAGE AND LOSSES. FROM THE STORMS THAT HAVE HAMMERED OUR REGION, SINCE THE NEW YEAR’S WEEKEND. AS KCRA 3’S BRITTANY HOPE SHOWS US. FARMERS THERE SAY IT COULD TAKE MONTHS TO REPAIR ALL THE DAMAGE. >> IT’S ONE THING AND THEN THE NEXT MORNING YOU HAVE ANOTHER THING. >> TOMORROW, BABY CHICKENS. >> IT HAS BEEN DEVASTATING, TO SAY THE LEAST. EDIE: FROM FLOODING TO WIND BLOWING OFF ROOFS. KAREN TURNER’S ACAMPO CHICKEN FARM, HASN’T BEEN ABLE TO COME UP FOR AIR SINCE THE NEW YEAR’S EVE STORM. >> WE HAD ANYWHERE BETWEEN 12 TO 24 INCHES OF WATER SURROUNDING AND INUNDATING MOST OF OUR BARNES THAT HAD CHICKENS. >> NEARLY 6000 OF THEM DIED. >> A SAD THING TO WADE THROUGH THERE. JUST TO GET THE LIVE ONES OUT. ALMOST EVERYONE EATS CHICKEN, FROM VERY LITTLE YOUNG PEOPLE TO OLD PEOPLE. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE REMEMBER THAT THERE IS MORE THAN JUST ELECTRONICS. THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO DO THIS FOR LIVING. WHEN WE TAKE A HIT LIKE THIS, IT TAKES A LOT TO GET OVER IT FOR SURE. >> IS GOING TO BE ALONG THE ROAD AHEAD FOR KAREN AND HER BIRDS, EVEN AFTER THE WET, WINDY WEATHER ENDS ITS REIGN OVER OUR REGION. >> THEY GO THROUGH THIS TRAUMA AND THE WETNESS IN THE BARNES. THERE IS THE BLISTERING OF THE BOTTOM OF THE FEET AND THE BLISTERING OF THE BREASTS WHEN THEIR PROCESS THAT MAKE THEM UNSELLABLE. >> KAREN, A LONGTIME FARMER SAYS UNCERTAINTY, AND LIFE-CYCLES, ARE PART OF THE JOB. >> IF MOTHER NATURE WAS HERE WITH YOU WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO HER? >> I DON’T THE GUY COULD SAY THAT ON CAMERA. [LAUGHTER] JUST GIVE US A BREAK. MODERATION WOULD BE BETTER THAN ONE EXTREME TO THE OTHER. >> CYCLE OF LIFE CONTINUES. THEY ARE FOCUSING ON REPAIRING ONE SPECIFIC BARS OF THOUSANDS OF BABY CHICKS CAN BE DELIVERED TOMORROW. IN ACAMPO, BRITTANY HOPE, KCRA 3 NEWS. EDIE: KAREN TELLS KCRA 3 IT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME FOR HER FARM TO FULLY RECOVER. AT THIS SHE’S HOPING EVERYTHING POINT WILL BE BACK TO NORMAL, BY THIS SUMMER. GULSTAN: AS THE RAIN KEEPS FALLING SOLANO COUNTY IS WARNING , COMMUNITIES IN THREE AREAS TO BE READY IN CASE OF AN EVACUATION. KCRA 3’S MARICELA DE LA CRUZ VISITED THE AREAS WHERE FLOODING IS STILL A CONCERN. MARICELA: 17 DAYS OF CONSECUTIVE RAINFALL IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CRACKS –. — HAS RESIDENTS LIKE KATHY AND RENÉE CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THEIR HOMES. >> I AM WORRIED THAT LAKE CURRY IS GOING TO REACH FULL CAPACITY AND START SPILLING OVER. MARICELA: SEVEN YEARS AFTER MOVING IN, RENÉE SAYS THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SHE RECEIVED AN EVACUATION WARNING FROM SOLANO COUNTY OFFICIALS TUESDAY EVENING. >> THIS IS JUST A WARNING HOWEVER IF YOU FEEL THREATENED OR IF YOUR LIFE OR PROPERTY ARE ENDANGERED, GO AHEAD AND LEAVE. MARICELA: THE PRECAUTIONARY WARNING WAS SENT IN CASE LAKE CURRY OVERFLOWS INTO THE SUISUN CREEK INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING ONTO THE ROAD. NEWS THAT HAVE GIVEN HER A LOT OF EXCITING. >> WE HAVE BEEN NONSTOP FLOOD PREPARING MOVING STUFF. A LOT OF SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, CHECKING THE WEATHER, CHECKING LAKE CURRY. MARICELA: THE THREE AREAS TO EVACUATE ARE THE THOMASON LANE, THE FIELD OFFICIALS ARE SAYING THEY’RE WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK TO AVOID LOCALIZED FLOODING. >> THERE A LOT OF DEBRIS ON THE GROUND. CLOGGING DRAIN DITCHES. AND KNOW OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IS OUT THERE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THE DEPLETE — TO DEBRIS IS OUT THERE. MARICELA: IF THE CREEK OVERFLOWS ONTO THE ROAD, IT COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE OF SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING IN THE AREA, IMPACTING THOSE IN THE APARTMENTS. OFFICIALS ARE MONITORING THE WATER LEVELS TO DETERMINE THE EVACUATION STATUS. IN FAIRFIELD, MARICELA DE LA CRUZ KCRA 3 NEWS. EDIE: THERE IS LESS WATER BEING RELEASED OUT OF FOLSOM DAM. WHILE FLOWS ON THE AMERICAN RIVER ARE STILL FAIRLY HIGH, THEY ARE LOW ENOUGH TO REOPEN THE FOOT-BRIDGE CONNECTING FAIR OAKS AND RANCHO CORDOVA. YOU CAN SEE HOW THE CREWS HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO LIFT THE STEEL RAILINGS. THE WATER JUST INCHES AWAY FROM THE BRIDGE DECK A FEW DAYS AGO. AND IT’S NOW DROPPED A FEW FEET. THE SACRAMENTO ZOO IS REELING AFTER THE SERIES OF STORMS. GULSTAN: THE ZOO WAS CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE BUT STAFF REMAIN ON SITE TO TRY TO CLEAN UP SOME OF THE AFTERMATH, WE ARE TALKING SPECIFICALLY FALLING TREES. KCRA’S JOSIE HEART JOINS US OUT THERE TO TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE. JOSIE: WELL, THERE IS STILL A LOT OF TREES COMING DOWN IN THE AREA. RIGHT NOW THE STAFF IS GOING AROUND THE CLOCK, MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING ON THE INSIDE IS SAFE FROM THE FALLEN TREES, BUT IT IS ALSO WAS FALLING ON THE OUTSIDE CAUSING CONCERN. DOZENS OF CREWMEMBERS WORK AT LAND PARK TO CLEAR OUT MORE THAN 80 FALLEN TREES. IT’S A TOUGH JOB FOR THE WORKERS WHO ARE STILL SEEING DANGEROUS MOVEMENT EVEN AS THEY TRY TO CLEAN UP. THE PARK IS CLOSED BECAUSE OF THESE POTENTIAL DANGERS BUT IT’S ALSO BRINGING SOME CONCERN FOR THE SACRAMENTO ZOO JUST STEPS AWAY. ZOO DIRECTOR JASON JACOBS TELLS US ONE OF HIS CONCERNS IS FOR PARK AND ZOO VISITORS WHO PARK NEARBY. >> WE’RE STILL LOOKING AT TREES THAT ARE PRESENTING SOME PROBLEMS, WE FOUND A EUCALYPTUS IN AN OFF PUBLIC AREA THAT LOOKS LIKE IT’S GOING TO COME DOWN, WE — OVER SERVICE BUILDING. WE NEED TO TAKE IT DOWN BEFORE IT CAUSES TROUBLE. JOSIE: THERE STAFF MEMBERS HAVE , BEEN HARD AT WORK CLEANING UP DOWNED TREES FROM THE AFTERMATH OF THIS WEEK’S STORMS. INSIDE, AT LEAST A DOZEN TREES HAVE TOPPLED DOWN OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS. A 170,000 POUND PORTION OF JUST ONE COLLAPSED TREE WAS HAULED OFF A DAY EARLIER. >> WE HAD TO TAKE THAT DOWN. IT WAS LEANING PRECARIOUSLY OVER A BUILDING WHICH HOUSES THE OFF-HABITAT HOMES FOR OUR MEERCATS, RIVER OTTERS AND LEMURS. JOSIE: STAFF SAY SOME TREES AND BRANCHES HAVE ALREADY FALLEN THROUGH SOME ANIMAL HABITATS, BUT FORTUNATELY NONE WERE HURT. JUST WALKING THE ZOO NOW, YOU WON’T SEE ANY ANIMALS LINGERING OUTSIDE IN THEIR HABITATS. THAT’S BECAUSE THE STAFF HAVE MOVED THEM TO SAFER AREAS LIKE THEIR ON-SITE VET HOSPITAL. THEY HAVE HOUSING BEHIND-THE-SCENES. LIKE OUR GIRAFFE FRIEND HERE, INSIDE A BARN WHERE THEY ARE SAFE, WARM, AND OUT OF HARM’S WAY. THE FINANCIAL IMPACT IS ANOTHER CONCERN. >> WE KNOW THAT ANYTIME WE HAVE A MAJOR WEATHER EVENT OR WIND HERE, WE EXPECT SOME DAMAGE, BUT THIS WAS BEYOND COMPREHENSION. JOSIE: STAFF SAY THEY’LL JUST HAVE TO RIDE OUT THIS WEEK’S ONCOMING RAINFALL AND HOPE NO FURTHER DAMAGES WILL KEEP THEM FROM OPENING AGAIN SOON. THE STAFF ARE STILL BRACING FOR THIS WEEKEND’S WEATHER. FOR NOW THEY SAY MAKING SURE THAT THERE — THE ANIMALS AND PEOPLE ARE SAFE ARE THEIR TOP PRIORITY. IN SACRAMENTO, JOSIE HEART, KCRA 3 NEWS. GULSTAN: THE MICKE GROVE ZOO IN SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, WILL REMAIN CLOSED THROUGH SUNDAY. STAFF SAY THEY’VE HAD TO DEAL WITHOUT POWER AND WATER. BUT, THEY SAY KEEPERS HAVE WORKED HARD TO MAKE SURE THE ANIMALS ARE COMFORTABLE. EDIE: THE STANISLAUS COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER IS ASKING FOR HELP TONIGHT. THE RECENT STORM HAS LED TO A SURGE IN DOGS ARRIVING AT THE SHELTER. AT THE SAME TIME, ADOPTIONS HAVE SLOWED. THE SHELTER HAS 237 DOGS IN A FACILITY DESIGNED FOR NO MORE THAN 180. OTHER SHELTERS, SOME AS FAR AWAY AS IDAHO ARE TAKING IN DOGS TO HELP. THE SHELTER NEEDS MORE LARGE DOG CRATES. IF YOU CAN HELP, CONTACT THE

Northern California snowstorm: Sierra could see more than 4 feet of snow through the holiday weekend

Updated: 9:59 PM PST Jan 11, 2023

Lots of people have plans to head to the mountains for MLK weekend. Travel should be smooth on the way up Thursday or Friday, but road conditions may worsen quickly on Saturday.See the latest storm updates hereThe KCRA 3 weather team is forecasting the potential for significant snow which will likely make travel difficult from Saturday through Monday. As of Wednesday afternoon, snow was tapering off for elevations at and above 7,000 feet. Highway conditions have improved significantly, but chain controls are still expected through Wednesday evening. Thursday will be a dry day, providing possibly the best travel conditions of the week. Drivers should note that while highways will be clear, many side streets and parking lots have not yet been plowed or have a thin layer of ice.Friday also appears mainly dry with new snow not likely to start until late in the evening.At this point, it appears as though the heaviest snow will pick up on Saturday and last through Sunday morning. Up to 2 feet of snow may accumulate above 6000 feet during that timeframe. This will be accompanied by gusty winds and possible whiteout conditions. Highway closures are possible during this time as a result. Snow should be less intense on Sunday, but drivers should plan on difficult travel while Caltrans works on clearing the roads. Those staying in homes and cabins will need to be prepared to dig out.A second wave of moisture will move in on Monday. Travel back to the valley on MLK Jr. Day will likely be difficult. Up to 20 inches of new snow is possible Monday with some snow lingering into Tuesday. In summary, Saturday and Monday appear to be the worst travel days in the Sierra, but snowy conditions should be expected throughout the holiday weekend.

Lots of people have plans to head to the mountains for MLK weekend. Travel should be smooth on the way up Thursday or Friday, but road conditions may worsen quickly on Saturday.

See the latest storm updates here

The KCRA 3 weather team is forecasting the potential for significant snow which will likely make travel difficult from Saturday through Monday.

As of Wednesday afternoon, snow was tapering off for elevations at and above 7,000 feet. Highway conditions have improved significantly, but chain controls are still expected through Wednesday evening.

Thursday will be a dry day, providing possibly the best travel conditions of the week. Drivers should note that while highways will be clear, many side streets and parking lots have not yet been plowed or have a thin layer of ice.

Friday also appears mainly dry with new snow not likely to start until late in the evening.

At this point, it appears as though the heaviest snow will pick up on Saturday and last through Sunday morning. Up to 2 feet of snow may accumulate above 6000 feet during that timeframe. This will be accompanied by gusty winds and possible whiteout conditions. Highway closures are possible during this time as a result.

Snow should be less intense on Sunday, but drivers should plan on difficult travel while Caltrans works on clearing the roads. Those staying in homes and cabins will need to be prepared to dig out.

A second wave of moisture will move in on Monday. Travel back to the valley on MLK Jr. Day will likely be difficult. Up to 20 inches of new snow is possible Monday with some snow lingering into Tuesday.

In summary, Saturday and Monday appear to be the worst travel days in the Sierra, but snowy conditions should be expected throughout the holiday weekend.