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Thursday Updates
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11 a.m. CalTrans released the following statement on the impact of storm-related flooding, mudslides on Sacramento Valley Highways:
MARYSVILLE – Storm-related flooding and mudslides have forced closure of two state highways, a pair of rest areas on a major interstate and various traffic lanes throughout the Sacramento Valley, according the state Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
Here is the latest update on Valley highways and facilities affected by the yesterday's major West Coast storm:
A 15-mile section of Highway 162 between Willows and the junction of Highway 162 and 45 in Glenn County is closed because of flooding from swollen creeks and drainage channels. The roadway is expected to be closed most of today.
The north- and southbound Willows rest areas on Interstate 5 in Glenn County are closed due flooding.
A 6-mile stretch of Highway 16 between Rumsey Canyon Road in Yolo County and the junction of Highways 16 and 20 in Colusa County remains closed after mudslides yesterday forced a shutdown of the roadway. Caltrans crews continue to work on clearing the slide. The highway could be closed into the weekend.
Water has receded to the shoulders on Highway 99 between Anita and Wilson Landing roads north of Chico. Motorists are advised to use caution in the area.
In Sutter County, the northbound #2 lane on Highway 70 near Nicolaus Avenue is closed due to flooding this morning.
In Yolo County, the southbound #2 lane on Highway 113 at Covell Boulevard in Davis is closed because of flooding this morning. The lane is expected to reopen around 4 p.m. today
9:30 a.m. Some schools in the Tahoe area were still closed Friday due to the snow.
More closures: YubaNet.com
Susie Bavo / YubaNet.com
9 a.m. Commuters Friday morning near the lightrail station on R and 30th street had mixed experiences with the storm. Erica Carmichael was waiting for the shuttle to Galt. She said her family was prepared for a power outage.
“We went and got candles, we went and got water, we went and got batteries, we went and got those instant lights…we were really prepared,” she said.
Carmichael said she stayed home to take care of her elderly mother. Her main concern was her family’s safety.
"It affected me in wanting to keep my babies safe. My grandbabies, my daughter getting them to school, because they all go to different schools,” she said.
Carmichael's grandkids did attend school Thursday.
Meanwhile, Arlin Crawford says the storm was “disappointing.” He used public transit to get to work Thursday, without problems.
“All this ‘storm of the century stuff’ or ‘storm of the decade,’ or whatever, they have one of those every ten years. Last one was in 2008, they were complaining about it... Nothing happened,” he said.
Crawford said he’s from the mountain region of Dorington, and up there, a “storm” means there will be snow.
Another rider of regional transit agrees that conversations leading up to the storm were overblown.
“It's good to have the warning but, other than that, kind of lackluster, I've seen stronger storms,” she said.
8 a.m. People across the Sacramento region are dealing with local flooding affecting traffic.
In Folsom, the police department says Sibley Street is closed between Blue Ravine Road and Levy. Willow Creek has overflowed, pouring water four inches deep across Sibley.
The City of Sacramento reports that sandbags are no longer available at several City sites. If you need sandbags, Storm Ready, Sacramento County.
7:15 a.m. At least four ski areas in the Lake Tahoe area closed Thursday because of high winds. Friday, many are expected to be back open. But resorts will work on a short timeline.
Snow melted fast at Squaw Valley, but piled up at higher elevations, as much as three feet of it. All that snow means resorts that usually need weeks of preparation, face the challenge of opening in 36 hours. To do that, ski patrols will first stabilize the snow. Then an army of 47 snow cats will pack the fluffy stuff down.
“They kind of have this seal team approach where they are looking out for each other on a constant basis communications are key, logistics are key and I cant emphasize enough, this isn’t our first battle. We have been here before," says Andy Wirth, CEO of Squaw Valley.
Wirth says a big challenge after storms like this is the perception that roads are not clear, but he says the skies and roads will clear by Friday.
7 a.m. Storm-related power outages are affecting thousands of people across the Sacramento area.
In the Pocket / Greenhaven neighborhood, 1,300 homes and businesses were in the dark since about 5 a.m. In the Cal Expo area about 150 customers lost power just before 4 a.m.
SMUD expects to have the power back online in the 7 a.m. for both outages. PG&E is reporting two large outages in Quincy. About 975 customers lost power Friday morning.
6:31 a.m. - We can expect rain through the day in the Sacramento area, but forecasters says this storm is moving on into the Sierra bringing snow into lower elevations-- around the 4,000-foot mark.
Meteorologist Mike Smith is with the National Weather Service in Sacramento. He says rain totals were right around what was expected-- just under three inches in the Sacramento area.
"As you get into the foothills, it was more like three to four inches, once you get above Folsom reservoir," he says. "And then up into the higher elevations of the Sierra, some of the place received five inches of rainfall or more."
Smith says daily rainfall records were set yesterday all over the state. Skies are expected to clear up over the weekend-- although we may see quite a bit of fog Saturday morning. Another storm is expected to move in later on Sunday-- but not as strong as this system.
Meanwhile, the storm system that's clobbered Northern California is pushing into Southern California, causing mudslides and evacuations. The National Weather Service says mud and debris blocked part of the Pacific Coast Highway in Ventura County as heavy rain fell there and in western Los Angeles County, where possible flash flooding is a concern.
Precautionary evacuations brought on by fear of mudslides began last night in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendora, where the foothills were stripped bare by a major wildfire this year.
The storm's powerful winds caused power outages around Santa Barbara and other parts of the coast, and forecasters predicted the winds would continue to pick up speed.
On Thursday, the center of the storm and its torrential rains hit Northern California, pushing waterways toward flood stage, toppling trees and cutting power to thousands.
Falling trees are blamed for two deaths In Oregon.
-Capital Public Radio Staff and The Associated Press
Friday: 12:15 a.m.
(AP) — Light showers have begun falling on parts of Los Angeles, but much heavier rainfall is coming. The storm that lashed Washington, Oregon and Northern California is moving south. Already, one apartment complex in a spot prone to mudslides in Riverside has been evacuated.
The storm caused widespread blackouts, destructive wind, sheets of rain and in higher elevations, lots of snow Thursday.
The brunt of the storm hit the San Francisco Bay Area, flooding freeways, toppling trees and keeping thousands of people home from work and school. The so-called "Pineapple Express" storm carried warm air and vast amounts of water in a powerful current stretching from Hawaii to the mainland and up into the mountains.
In Sonoma County, officials recommended that hundreds of people evacuate at least 300 homes in the lowest lying areas near the Russian River.
In Southern California, there's concern that areas recently hit by wildfires could now see mudslides.
