‘Atmospheric River’ to Bring Nearly 7 Feet of Snow to NorCal Mountains Through Monday
Here we go again. Northern California welcomed winter in a fantastic way Thanksgiving week, with a “bomb cyclone” storm bringing massive snowfall throughout the area, causing significant holiday traffic delays. Now, just a couple days later, winter is bringing another big storm that will blanket NorCal with A LOT more snow.
The National Weather Service released it’s forecast for the Sierra Nevada mountains, claiming the incoming atmospheric river could bring nearly 7 of snow over 48 hours. High elevation areas like Donner and Carson Pass could see 4 feet, while Lassen Peak could see up to 80 inches.
This snow is on top of the multiple feet of snow celebrated last week by ski resorts from Mammoth to Tahoe and all the way up to Mt. Shasta. Most Tahoe resorts used the last snowstorm to open their lifts for the season, and this new storm will help enable more terrain to open up.
The storm is also a reminder just how much snow Lassen Volcanic National Park gets during its winter months, frequently surpassing it’s Tahoe brethren in snowpack numbers.
Down in the valley, the rain will be heavy, with areas like Redding and Chico expected to see 3 inches, while the Grass Valley area could see up to 7.5 inches.
The storm will also bring gusty conditions, with winds up to 40 mph expected along the North Coast.
This season is already beginning to feel a lot like the epic winter we had in 2019, where multiple Tahoe ski resorts recorded record snowfall. Although the rain can sometimes be a nuisance, it’s always good to have high water levels throughout California.
By the way, there’s ANOTHER storm coming in next week. Hold onto your hats, NorCal.