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Vehicles move through moderate snowfall at the intersection of Clark Road and Paradise, California, Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Ed Booth/Enterprise-Record)
CHICO – With snow in the forecast tonight and Sunday, the National Weather Service and Caltrans officials have a message for those considering non-essential mountain travel during that time: Don’t!
Even essential travel becomes treacherous at altitudes above 1,500 feet, with risk and difficulty for drivers increasing with altitude. The heaviest snow is forecast to fall this morning through Sunday. Above 3,000 feet, the NWS gives a chance of 1-2 feet of snow, with 3-4 feet of snow possible above the 4,000 foot mark.
Travel conditions today and Sunday range from “dangerous to impossible” to “major danger” with chain controls, extended delays and road closures; Decreased visibility sometimes with white conditions; And trees and tree limbs were downed by heavy snow and gusty winds, along with local power outages.
Caltrans strictly prohibits non-essential mountain travel anywhere in the Sierra Nevada region until this powerful storm moves out of the area on Monday, although the threat has not completely disappeared. If drivers must travel, drivers should always carry food, water and blankets in case they get stuck in snow or have extended road closures, officials said.
Low altitudes
People living in the Sierra Nevada foothills and Sacramento Valley have their own climate influences to consider. The Foothills could receive up to 4 inches of snow above 2,000 feet today through Sunday, affecting areas such as Garden, Forest Ranch, Concoction, Berry Creek and Cohasset.
The higher elevations of Paradise experienced a mix of rain Saturday morning at the 2,034-foot elevation mark at the junction of Skyway and Wagstaff Road. Three miles up the Skyway, at the intersection with the Kutelenck Road at the 2,310-foot mark, fresh snow fell sideways as contact with the pavement weakened.
In the Valley, residents can expect rain, wind and thunderstorms through Sunday, with rain, wind and thunderstorms and snow Sunday and Monday. Nighttime low temperatures will be in the mid to low 30s on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Chico will see a high of 52 Sunday and a low of 37, with a high of 49 Monday and a low of 37 tonight. Wind gusts will reach 37 mph on Sunday and 29 mph on Monday.
Oroville will be cooler, with a high of 50 Sunday but a low of 38 Sunday night. Monday will only reach 48 day and 38 at night. Residents can expect winds of 33 mph on Sunday and 31 mph on Monday.
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