This is a developing situation and information may change. We’ll update this article as more information becomes available. The most recent information will be updated at the top of the article, with the earlier reports below.
2/28/23 5:15 p.m. — Mendocino County drivers can rejoice for a moment: State Route 128 between Boonville and Cloverdale has reopened after a multi-day closure, which means the majority of state roads within the county are now open after the most recent storms. However, please continue to take caution on the roads this evening, as freezing temperatures could mean that black ice and other dangerous conditions remain.
2/28/23 3:18 p.m. — National Weather Service Eureka (NWS Eureka) forecasts freezing temperatures Wednesday and Thursday nights in the wake of this recent storm. Inland lows will be between 17 degrees in Covelo and 24 degrees in Ukiah. On the coast, Fort Bragg may see temperatures as low as 30 degrees and Point Arena 36 degrees overnight. NWS Eureka expects that the recent rain and hail may lead to icy roads, especially on bridges and overpasses. As always, protect people, pets, and pipes during freezing temperatures. Learn more on how to be ready for freezing temperatures here.
In local media news, KAEF/KBVU/KECA (including ABC 23) is only operating on cable signal and there is no over-the-air availability as of 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb 28. According to news manager and anchor Michael Patterson, power is out at the transmission site. Patterson says that engineers are working on restoring the signal.
2/28/23 1:30 p.m. — All United State Post Offices that were closed due to the storm have reopened, including in Covelo.
National Weather Service Eureka reports that snow showers are diminishing throughout its coverage area, however, our neighbors to the north in Humboldt County may still see 2-6 inches of snow. Be sure to check road conditions before you head out on the roads north of Willits, especially given chains are required in many areas. Today, Laytonville and Leggett may still see 1-2 inches of snow.
2/28/23 10:41 a.m. — Several vehicles were stuck in the snow on Eel River Rd in Potter Valley for an hour this morning. Road conditions remain challenging in the area due to snow. Fire crews helped free the vehicles while the intersection of Eel River Rd. at John Day Rd. was closed. The intersection has since reopened. Traffic conditions can be monitored here.
United Disaster Relief of Northern California will be open today Tuesday, Feb. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. providing resources for residents impacted by the storms.
More PG&E customers are without power this morning, adding to the over 2,700 already without power. As of 9:02 a.m. 1,247 more customers are without power in Round Valley. PG&E cites weather as the reason for the outage. No time of restoration has been announced. Track your outage status here.
2/28/23 9:06 a.m. — Branscomb Rd. from State Route 1 to Laytonville is open again per Caltrans.
Willits City Councilmember Greta Kanne shared an update about road conditions on her Facebook page this morning:
Good morning! The city is weathering this latest storm front well with no significant issues to report. Our roads look pretty clear this morning, but Public Works will be out again with the snow plow to hit our steepest streets today. You know the drill – please use caution and sense if you must go out as icy patches can make even the tamest drive treacherous. Stay smart Willits!
Round Valley Indian Tribes president Randall Britton announced in a memo that all tribal programs are canceled for Tuesday, Feb. 28, due to weather conditions. All programs are expected to resume Wednesday, Mar. 1, if weather allows. Round Valley Indian Health Center is hoping to open for medication pick-up starting at 1 p.m. today, however, conditions can change depending on if the gate can be opened or not due to snow.
MENDOCINO Co., 2/28/23 — The current storm will be subsiding today, but difficult road conditions, outages, and school closures are ongoing across the county. Thankfully, March starts tomorrow, Wednesday, and will welcome the entire county with chilly yet sunny conditions, a much welcome break before rain (and possibly snow) returns this weekend.
We’ve put together an overview of the storm conditions for Feb. 28, and we’ll keep you updated on major developments. We also have a winter weather info guide that we recommend you bookmark to check for current conditions. There are also additional resources included at the bottom of the article so you can check the exact conditions in your area.
Road conditions
As of this morning, State Route 101 is completely open. SR 253 is open from Ukiah to Boonville. SR 1 is closed from the intersection with SR 1 to Branscomb Road; there is no estimated time of reopening.
In the southern part of the county, State Route 175 is open from Hopland to Lake County, however, chains are required to travel. Here are the chain requirements:
Chains are required on all vehicles except passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks under 6,000 pounds gross weight and equipped with snow tires on at least two drive wheels. Chains must be carried by vehicles using snow tires. All vehicles towing trailers must have chains on one drive axle. Trailers with brakes must have chains on at least one axle.
State Route 128 also remains closed due to hazardous conditions from Robinson Creek in Anderson Valley to the Sonoma County line near Cloverdale. There is no estimated time of reopening. Drivers can track state road conditions here.
School closures and power outages
According to the Mendocino County Office of Education (MCOE), the following schools are closed on Tuesday, February 28: Laytonville Unified schools, Leggett Valley Unified schools, and Willits Unified. Round Valley Unified and Willits Charter Schools are on a 2-hour delay schedule as of 8 a.m. MCOE will continue to update changes at mcoe.us.
Over 2,700 PG&E customers are without power in the county, with the Brooktrails area north of Willits being the largest outage. There are 1,217 customers without power in the Brooktrails area this morning. The time of restoration is unknown. It could be another day or two before power is restored across numerous areas of the county due to road and weather conditions, which, according to PG&E, can make it challenging for PG&E crews to access areas or work safely. Monitor outage conditions here.
What to expect with the weather Tuesday, Feb. 28
According to National Weather Service Eureka (NWS Eureka), today will be the last day for the current storm — but another storm system is forecast for the end of the week. The wet weather will subside on Wednesday, bringing dry conditions and cold temperatures. However, stormy weather may continue in other parts of the state, so check your route for current conditions if you are planning to travel.
Much of inland remains under a winter storm warning through 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, including Willits, Leggett, Laytonville, Covelo, Potter Valley, Redwood Valley, Ukiah, and Hopland. Northern parts of the county may continue to see snow, with most of inland Mendocino County experiencing rain. Tomorrow, Wednesday, Mar. 1, will bring frosty – yet thankfully sunny – conditions.
The entire Mendocino Coast is under a winter weather advisory until 10 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28. Today and tonight the coast will see showers and possible thunderstorms and hail into the evening. Residents will be greeted by the first day of March, Wednesday, with sunny and breezy conditions in the morning.
NWS Eureka is collecting your snow reports during this storm with the amounts, time, location, and elevation — you can submit snow reports here. If you’re interested in an overview of the statewide impacts of these storms from a meteorological perspective, we recommend checking out Daniel Swain of Weather West, who has been sharing information throughout these major weather events.
Mendocino County’s many microclimates mean the weather conditions may vary based on your location, especially by elevation. You can check for the specific forecast for your neighborhood and on current road conditions as they develop.
Mendocino Voice Winter weather resources:
- Our guide for winter weather emergency and preparedness info — we recommend you bookmark this
- 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 QuickMap for current road closures or call 1-800-GAS-ROAD
- Check for current accidents at the CHP traffic update page
- Caltrans traffic cameras can be seen here, and here are the PG&E cameras
- 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 or report power outages
- NWS has flood stage predictions here; and you can find USGS current streamflow information here
- 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
A Forrest Gump observation. With all the recent record breaking rains and mountain snow fall all around the state, am I the only one who has noticed? Just like like that, there’s no more global warming concerns in any of the weather reports. Are we are getting a short break from it all?