MENDOCINO Co., 12/12/21 — A round of rain returned to Northern California this weekend, and even more wintry precipitation is forecast to continue through Tuesday as an atmospheric river arrives on the North Coast. The wintry mix of rain and snow is expected to return Sunday evening with snow expected at 3,500 feet, but snow levels are forecast to drop and may reach 1,000 feet or even lower in parts of interior Mendocino and Lake counties, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Eureka.
As of Sunday morning, NWS is anticipating 20% chance of snow in Ukiah and interior Lake County, and up to 60% chance of snow in Laytonville and northern interior parts of Mendocino, which means a number of highways including U.S. Highway 101, and State Route 20 and 175 may be significantly impacted by the winter storm. Significant accumulation is expected on mountain passes to the north of Mendocino County, as well as throughout Northern California — so travelers should make sure to check for chain controls and closed roadways in advance.
As of now, the NWS winter weather advisory is primarily for Humboldt County and the interior mountains in eastern Mendocino County, but conditions may change as the storm approaches. The most current warnings and advisories will be updated at the NWS Eureka page.
We’ve put together a list of important weather resources at the bottom of this article to check as the storm progresses, since the conditions will vary throughout the north coast, and may change rapidly. Residents should also prepare for potential power outages. minor flooding in low-lying areas, and avoid the roads if possible. This rainstorm is expected to impact much of Northern California over the next several days.
NWS is also currently collecting snow reports and photos from last night’s round of precipation:
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 and their Twitter 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