Alert Day: Rain and heavy snow in Northern California
Monday is an Alert Day as rain and heavy snow in the Sierra will impact your plans and your commute. Chain controls are likely in the Sierra. More wet weather is in the forecast on and off through Thursday.
SACRAMENTO STATE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT FOR FURTHER DETAILS. WE’RE WAITING TO HEAR BACK. IN THE MEANTIME, A LIVE LOOK HERE AT RANCHO CORDOVA SKYCAM. IT IS A WET AND STORMY START TO THE DAY. JUST WAIT TILL YOU SEE DOPPLER RADAR. LET’S GO TO METEOROLOGIST TAMARA BERG WITH A LOOK. YEAH, A LOT OF ACTIVITY TO TALK ABOUT. LET’S FIRST TAKE YOU INTO DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO, WHERE YOU CAN SEE CLEARLY THE DROPS ARE HITTING THE CAMERA LENS AND THE STREETS ALL AROUND TOWN. THEY ARE REALLY WATERLOGGED. WE’VE HAD RAIN REALLY COMING DOWN SINCE ABOUT 10:00 LAST NIGHT. AND NOTICE THAT THE TEMPERATURES HAVE COOLED DOWN AFTER A DAY IN THE 60S YESTERDAY. WE’RE NOW DOWN TO THE LOW 50S ON THIS PRESIDENTS DAY HOLIDAY, MID 30S UP AT THE TOP, WHERE THE SNOW HAS ALSO BEEN STREAMING IN THE WIND, PRIMARILY OUT OF THE SOUTHERLY DIRECTION. NOT TOO STRONG THIS MORNING, BUT THOSE WINDS ARE GOING TO BE RAMPING UP, ESPECIALLY MIDDAY AND BEYOND, WHERE WE COULD HAVE A PERIODIC GUST UP TO ABOUT 25 TO 35MPH IN AND AROUND THE VALLEY AND ALONG THE FOOTHILLS. LET’S LOOK AT THE RAIN NOW IN THE RADAR SWEEP OVER THE LAST THREE HOURS WHILE YOU’VE BEEN SLEEPING. TYPE OF RAIN I KNOW I HEARD IT HITTING MY ROOFTOP AS I WAS GETTING UP AND GETTING READY TO HEAD OUT THE DOOR FOR WORK. AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT THAT SNOW IS REALLY COMING DOWN ROUGHLY BETWEEN ABOUT 4000 AND 5000FT FOR THE MORNING, ESPECIALLY ALONG HIGHWAY 50 AND INTERSTATE 80. YOU’RE GOING TO NEED THE CHAIN CONTROLS TRAVELING ALONG INTERSTATE 80 AND AROUND GRASS VALLEY, NEVADA CITY. IT’S ALL RAIN FOR YOU THIS MORNING. COMING DOWN AT A REALLY GOOD CLIP. YOU CAN SEE THAT IN AREAS LIKE CAMINO, IT’S PRIMARILY RAINFALL AND PLACERVILLE GETTING SOME GOOD SOAKING RAIN AS WELL INTO THE GROUND. STOCKTON THE RAINFALL INTENSITY IS ON THE LIGHTER SCALE. IT PICKS UP AROUND ESCALON AND MODESTO PICKS UP AS WELL ALONG AREAS OF HIGHWAY 108 INTO SONORA. SO THE BIG PIECE OF THIS SYSTEM RIGHT NOW, JUST CHURNING OFFSHORE, AND WE’RE SEEING AGAIN THE FLOW OF THAT MOISTURE STREAMING IN FROM THE SOUTH. BUT THE NEXT PUSH OF MOISTURE COMES IN FROM THE NORTH. AND THAT WILL NOT ONLY CHANGE UP OUR WIND FOR US IN THE DIRECTION, IT’S ALSO GOING TO BRING IN SOME COLDER AIR TO WORK WITH. SO TUESDAY, HERE’S FUTURECAST. AT LUNCHTIME YOU CAN SEE THE SNOW LEVEL WORKING ITS WAY DOWN THE HILL, AND WE COULD EXPECT SNOW LEVELS AS LOW AS AROUND 2000FT, ESPECIALLY EVEN BY TOMORROW MORNING. RAIN WILL BE ON AND OFF AGAIN DURING THE DAY ON TUESDAY. THEN WE MAKE OUR WAY INTO WEDNESDAY, AND BY WEDNESDAY MORNING COULD EVEN SEE THAT SNOW LEVEL INCHING DOWN CLOSER TO JUST BELOW 2000FT AS THAT COLD AIR REALLY STREAMS IN. AND THEN WE GET INTO THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THINGS WILL QUIET DOWN QUITE A BIT, BUT WE’RE STILL LOOKING AT SOME LINGERING SHOWERS WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE. SO FROM YESTERDAY’S RAIN, WE GOT IN THE OVERNIGHT INTO THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY. WE COULD PICK UP 1 TO 2IN. SOME SPOTS IN THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY PUSHING CLOSER TO THREE INCHES, LIKE AROUND YUBA CITY, AND THEN THREE TO ABOUT FIVE INCHES POSSIBLE IN THE FOOTHILLS. TUESDAY EVENING. HOW MUCH SNOW MIGHT BE ON THE GROUND WHERE YOU LIVE, OR IF YOU HAVE TO TRAVEL THOSE PASSES 56IN POSSIBLE DONNER SUMMIT 37. ECHO SUMMIT 43 AROUND KIRKWOOD AND EVEN COLFAX COULD BE SEEING SOME GOOD STEADY SNOWFALL FOR THE COMING DAYS, ESPECIALLY AS THAT COLDER AIR WORKS IN OVERNIGHT TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY FORECAST AGAIN, STILL A LITTLE BIT UNSETTLED. WE GET INTO THE DAY ON THURSDAY. WHILE WE MAY STILL SEE SOME SNOW SHOWERS IN THE SIERRA, THE VALLEY DRIES OUT AND THE VALLEY IS LOOKING DRY AS WE HEAD THROUGH THE DAY THURSDAY AND INTO FRIDAY, WE COULD SEE POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER SYSTEM TO RETURN AS EARLY AS SUNDAY. AGAIN, MODELS ARE STILL KIND OF WORKING OUT THE DETAILS ON THAT, BUT LOOK AT THESE TEMPERATURES, THE HIGH YESTERDAY FOR PERSPECTIVE WAS IN THE 60S. WE CRASHED DOWN TODAY TO THE 50S WITH HIGHS IN THE 40S TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY. THAT TELLS YOU THIS IS A COLDER SYSTEM THAT WILL KIND OF LINGER AND HAVE IMPACTS THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. EXCITED TO SEE TH
Alert Day: Rain and heavy snow in Northern California
Monday is an Alert Day as rain and heavy snow in the Sierra will impact your plans and your commute. Chain controls are likely in the Sierra. More wet weather is in the forecast on and off through Thursday.
Updated: 5:05 AM PST Feb 16, 2026
Expect a wet morning commute as light to moderate rainfall continues in the Valley Foothills. Occasionally gusty winds are also expected, with gusts up 35 mph in the Sacramento Valley.Moderate to heavy snow will persist across the Sierra throughout the day. Whiteout conditions and road closures are likely. As of Monday morning, snow levels are around 4000’. Snowfall is not likely to ease. Levels may even creep down to around 2000’ by Tuesday.Rainfall in the Valley will ease by Monday night and Tuesday will be showery with isolated thunderstorms possible.Tuesday is another Alert Day for more snow, lowering snow levels and wind.Here’s an estimate on totals for Mon-Wed:Valley: 1-3” RainFoothills: 2-5” RainSnow: Above 2,000’: 6-12”Above 4,000’: 2 feetAbove 5,000’: 2-3 feetAbove 7,000’: 3-5 feetWednesday is an Impact Day as lingering rain and snow showers continue to impact your commute. A few snow showers linger in the Sierra on Thursday as the begins to dry out. Dry weather is expected Friday through Sunday, but another storm system is brewing for early next week.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Expect a wet morning commute as light to moderate rainfall continues in the Valley Foothills. Occasionally gusty winds are also expected, with gusts up 35 mph in the Sacramento Valley.
Moderate to heavy snow will persist across the Sierra throughout the day. Whiteout conditions and road closures are likely. As of Monday morning, snow levels are around 4000’. Snowfall is not likely to ease. Levels may even creep down to around 2000’ by Tuesday.
Rainfall in the Valley will ease by Monday night and Tuesday will be showery with isolated thunderstorms possible.
Tuesday is another Alert Day for more snow, lowering snow levels and wind.
Here’s an estimate on totals for Mon-Wed:
Valley: 1-3” Rain
Foothills: 2-5” Rain
Snow:
Above 2,000’: 6-12”
Above 4,000’: 2 feet
Above 5,000’: 2-3 feet
Above 7,000’: 3-5 feet
Wednesday is an Impact Day as lingering rain and snow showers continue to impact your commute.
A few snow showers linger in the Sierra on Thursday as the begins to dry out. Dry weather is expected Friday through Sunday, but another storm system is brewing for early next week.