Wet, windy weather is forecast on the North Coast over much of the upcoming three-day weekend and, combined with heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada, getaway travel in all directions will be tricky.
Except for a dry spell on Saturday, rain is expected to stick around the Santa Rosa area, intensifying Sunday evening with the heaviest rain on Monday, said Bob Benjamin of the National Weather Service.
By the middle of next week, more than four inches of rain is expected to have fallen in Santa Rosa and up to seven inches in the hills west of Healdsburg, he said.
“We’ve got a lot more rain to come,” he said.
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Winds on Friday toppled trees and power lines, causing scattered power failures. In Santa Rosa, a tree fell into a garage off Baja Court.
Heavy snow was forecast for the mountains throughout the weekend. In the highest elevations, nearly two feet of snow is expected over the next 24 hours with even more snow falling as the most severe storm hits Monday, he said.
“They are getting hammered,” Benjamin said. “If you’re not there now, you probably have missed the train.”
Interstates 80 and 50 were open as of Friday but they could be subject to closures with little notice because of landslides.
Placerville CHP Officer Brent McElmurry advised travelers to bring extra food and blankets and be prepared for extended delays.
“Make sure you fill up your gas tank before going to those areas,” McElmurry said. “Take supplies. You could very well be stuck overnight.”
For road updates, he advised travelers to check the Facebook pages for Caltrans District 3 and the Placerville CHP.
Check back later for more details.
You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ppayne.
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