April Showers: Rain and Snow Forecast to Pound Northern California this Weekend

April 1st arrived with the California Department of Water Resources announcing that California snowpack sat at a paltry 53 percent of average, sending drought concerns throughout the state. But with the grim announcement came a forecast for significant snowfall throughout Northern California in the first week of month, a ray of hope as water officials hope to claw out of any drought fears.

The National Weather Service released their forecast for NorCal this weekend and it includes rain throughout the valley and multiple feet of snow in the mountains, including up to 48 inches in Lassen Volcanic National Park (which is currently closed due to Coronavirus).

The snowfall will hit hard on Lassen, as well as the Sierra Nevada from the Tahoe area all the way down to Tioga Pass in the Eastern Sierra. High-elevation passes will get slammed by snow through Monday, with 2-4 feet possible over 3,000 feet, with the heaviest coming on Sunday.

The storm will also drench lower elevation areas with rain, with most NorCal towns seeing an inch or two of rain. Grass Valley, per usual, is forecast to see the most precipitation with up to 3 inches of rain.

As always, travel will be difficult in the high-elevation areas of NorCal, with chain controls and closures likely. If you must travel, please check updates with CalTrans before heading into the mountains and be sure to carry chains.

But who’s traveling this weekend anyway? All ski resorts, vehicle access to California State Parks and Forest Service areas are closed. Do your part. Stay inside people.

Active NorCal

Telling the Stories of Northern California

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