Cold, wet, snowy weekend

An unusually cold, wet weather system brought the first snow of the season to North Bay mountain tops Friday.

Temperatures were expected to remain about 15 degrees below normal throughout the weekend, with overnight lows dipping to 37 degrees in Santa Rosa, below freezing at higher elevations.

“It's getting colder as this system progresses,” said Michael Sager, meteorologist for AccuWeather.

If the moderate snowfall reported falling on the peaks of the Mayacamas Friday afternoon isn't sticking by morning, it probably will as the day progresses. The snow level is expected to move from around 5,000 feet Friday night to as low as 3,000 feet Saturday night, Sager said.

Mount St. Helena stands 4,343 feet high and Pine Mountain east of Geyserville hits 3,612 feet, meaning Sonoma County residents may see some snow-capped peaks this weekend.

Rainfall totals were light around the county Friday but heavier precipitation was expected overnight.

“There's a real solid blob of rain from San Francisco northward and when that does get in it's going to rain for several hours,” Sager said.

When combined with a second wave of moisture expected to arrive later Saturday, the region could see one to two inches of rain total, he said.

Most ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe area should see two to three feet of snow from the storm, he said.

“The Sierra are going to do well with this system,” Sager said.

While chilly locally, the conditions are far from a record for the season. While the weekend's lows will be around 37, the historic low for Friday set in 1977 was 27 degrees.
“It's going to get pretty chilly, but I wouldn't say it'll be in record territory,” he said.

By 8 p.m. Friday, the CHP reported only a few minor vehicle accidents.

“Tomorrow could be a whole different day,” said Sgt. Kahl Eidam.

Conditions will remain unsettled through Tuesday, when things should dry out, Sager said.