MENDOCINO Co., 1/24/21 — A a string of winter storms are anticipated to hit the North Coast beginning today, bringing significant precipitation and mountain snowfall through at least Wednesday, with a good chance of continued rain and snow after that. The National Weather Service is anticipating that snow levels may drop to below 2500 feet or as low as 1500 feet in some regions over the next several days, and that significant accumulation of snowfall and several inches of rain can be expected, which may lead to road closures and possible flooding.
The atmospheric river approaching the Pacific coast is expected to bring rain and increased wind is expected to begin Sunday afternoon, and snow may continue overnight on Sunday, when temperatures may drop into the mid-20s in inland northern Mendocino. Rain is currently forecast to resume on Tuesday and continue through at least the end of the week, with the most significant storms moving through the North Coast through Thursday. This could lead to flooding, possible power outages, difficult travel conditions, and result in debris flows, especially in recent burn flow areas.
Winter weather advisories and hazardous weather outlooks have been issued throughout the North Coast, and snowfall is expected to impact travel and road conditions in the Sierras as well. This weather pattern will be a significant change from the unusually dry winter so far seen during the last several months on the North Coast.
Winter weather resources:
- Check your specific forecast at this link along with the National Weather Service advisories and warnings, as well as their Facebook page
- Check the CalTrans QuickMapfor current road closures or call 1-800-GAS-ROAD
- Check for current accidents at the CHP traffic update page
- Traffic cameras can be seen here
- You can also check out the Weather Underground to look for weather stations in your area.
- Check the PG&E current outage map to find our report power outages
- NWS is seeking snowfall reports, and you can submit them to this website.
- We recommend meteorologist Daniel Swain’s Weather West Blog as a good place to find more in-depth current weather analysis
- Here is a link to maps detailing recent burn scars and potential debris flow areas