Sacramento weekend weather timeline for rain, winds, Sierra snow

Heavy rain and wind are forecast this weekend in Northern California. If you have any outdoor plans, you should reconsider them on Saturday. Travel in the Sierra, where some chain controls are in effect, won’t be recommended. KCRA 3’s weather team is calling Saturday an Alert Day due to the potential for damage from gusty winds and heavy Sierra snow. PG&E and SMUD customers are also dealing with power outages across Northern California and Sacramento. You can report downed power lines immediately by calling 911 and then PG&E at 1-800-743-5002 or if you’re in Sacramento you can report it to SMUD at http://SMUD.org/Outages.Here are live updates on conditions.12:04 p.m.: SMUD outages decreaseAbout 1,666 SMUD customers are without power in Sacramento, according to the utility’s outage map. That’s down from the 32,431 customers who were initially without power at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.11:28 a.m.: Flood Advisory in the ValleyThe National Weather Service has issued a flood advisory for portions of the Valley and Delta. The advisory will stay in effect through 1:15 p.m. on Saturday.Officials warn to never drive across flooded roads.10:27 a.m.: Clusters of power outages reported to PG&ESmall clusters of power outages are impacting PG&E customers across Northern California. One of the largest areas with about 3,443 customers reporting outages is in Grass Valley, according to PG&E’s outage map. 10:12 a.m.: Power outages go down to 7,000 SMUD customers impactedAbout 7,405 SMUD customers are without power, according to the utility’s outage map. That’s down from the 32,431 who were initially without at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. The outages range from across Sacramento and appear to be due to strong winds across the region. SMUD says there are crews working to assess the damage.10 a.m.: Downed and active powerlines trap 5 carsFive cars with people inside them are trapped between downed and active powerlines in Sacramento County, authorities said Saturday. The powerlines are down near the intersection of Florin Road and Sunrise Boulevard, the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District said. Read more here.9:58 a.m.: Highway 89 closedHeavy snow has prompted the closure of Highway 89 between Emerald Bay State Park and D.L. Bliss State Park in the Lake Tahoe Basin area. There is no estimated time to reopen.9:26 a.m.: SMUD power outagesAbout 32,431 SMUD customers are impacted by power outages across Sacramento, according to the utility company’s outage map. SMUD says they have crews on the way to assess the situations. 9 a.m.: A look at I-80 road conditionsChain controls are in effect for Interstate 80 and Highway 50 as heavy snow and icy conditions make travel dangerous.8:35 a.m.: Sierra Snow Lab reports 48-hour snow totalsThe UC Berekely Central Sierra Snow Lab reports 5.7″ of snow over the last 24 hours and 10.6″ in the last 48 hours.The lab is at an elevation of 6,894 feet.Here is what to know about the latest timeline. Weekend rainRain will be heaviest on Saturday, with scattered downpours into Sunday. A few showers may linger into Monday.The rain started in the Valley in the early morning Saturday and will be steady with the heaviest rain falling before 2 p.m. In the Sacramento area, a heavy period of rain will begin around 10 a.m. Periods of rain are expected through the rest of the day Saturday with some heavier downpours and dry periods, too. On Sunday, expect some periods of off-and-on rain throughout the day with a slight chance of thunderstorms. Rain totals could be in the range of 1 to 2 inches in the Valley for Saturday and Sunday combined. There could be 2 to 3 inches in the Foothills. Winds in Northern CaliforniaStrong winds will pick up in the Valley and lower Foothills on Saturday morning. The east side of the Valley could see gusts of 45 to 50mph, which could cause power outages or tree limbs to fall. Sacramento’s gusts will likely be around 40mph. Winds will taper off late in the afternoon. Snow in the SierraSnow amounts are expected to climb throughout the day Saturday and into Sunday. Travel in the Sierra will be very difficult and slow this weekend.Saturday’s snow levels will be in the 5,000-foot range or higher. The heaviest snow will likely fall from 10 a.m. through 5 p.m. with a rate of 2 to 3 inches per hour. Colder air will drop the snow level to the 3,500-4,000-foot range Saturday night. Snow will fall overnight into early Sunday. By the afternoon the snow will taper in intensity.Combined snow totals for both days could be in the 4 feet or more range above 6,000 feet. Locations near 4,000 feet could see 6-10 inches on Sunday. Click here for a look at Caltrans’ QuickMap for traffic conditions. Click here to search conditions by highway. 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