First winter storm of the season arrives in the valley Tuesday
We're seeing a storm system across the northwest and some clouds are making their way across Central California.
On Tuesday, the weather will be dry around 8 a.m. or so. But then by the mid-morning to the lunch hour, the rain will come into the valley from the west. Some of it will be locally heavy, and then become snow up in the higher elevations of the Sierra. Cold air will bring the snow level down to about 5,000 feet Tuesday afternoon, and then Tuesday night, down to about 3,500 feet -- that's where there will be accumulating snow in the forecast.
Snow showers will continue on Wednesday. So, tomorrow certainly is a First Alert Action Day due to snowfall in the higher elevations of the Sierra.
When it comes to the rainfall across the valley, we'll get a quarter to half-inch of rain across the central and eastern parts of the valley. There will be more rain as you go up into the parts of the foothills.
Some of this will be in the form of snowfall, though, especially above 3,500 feet -- that's where the snow will be accumulating upwards of five to 10 inches as you go above 5,000 feet. Visibility in the passes will be down to less than a quarter-mile at times. Above 3,500 feet, we'll be looking at one to three inches of snow.
That heaviest snow is going to be during the mid-afternoon timeframe Tuesday Strong winds that will bring the feels-like temperature and the wind chill down below zero at times on Wednesday.
With some snow showers continuing for the western slope of the Sierra, we'll see winds really ramping up Tuesday afternoon with gusts in excess of 45-55 miles per hour. That will bring those temperatures down.
For Thursday morning and daytime, temperatures in the valley will be near record lows.
Sierra temperatures will be into the 40s, down to the 30s on Wednesday, and then holding on to a break in the action before the next round of weather takes place over the course of the weekend for the valley, lower 60s On Wednesday, and then Thursday morning see these temperatures into the upper 30s.
Next weekend will be the next chance for another system that could bring in some more rain chances to Northern California.
