US weather: Winter storm alert issued for northern California, Sierra Nevada may see ‘major travel impact’

Much of Northern California is under a winter storm watch, with communities bracing for several feet of snow.

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned people traveling to and from the Sierra Nevada and its popular ski resorts to expect “major travel impacts” and to use “extreme caution,” the Associated Press reported.

But there is still time for people to get to their destinations for Presidents Day weekend.

While there was some snow earlier in the week, conditions remained quiet on Saturday, Anderson said.

“Our highest [snow] accumulations are going to be in those kind of more hard-to-reach places, but we’re still going to see some of those heavier amounts in communities that are populated,” Anderson was quoted as saying.

Communities in higher elevations could see much more snow — possibly 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 meters).

Among them, Anderson said, may be Blue Canyon, a sparsely populated unincorporated community that sits at 4,695 feet (1,431 meters) of elevation and is about 51 miles (82 kilometers) west of Lake Tahoe.

The City of South Lake Tahoe posted on its Facebook page, warning residents that if they drive on Monday they should “expect delays, possible road closures, and whiteout conditions.”

The Shasta County Sheriff's Office urged residents to take advantage of the clear weather Saturday and prepare for the storm. “It has seemed ‘spring-like’ for a large part of 2026, but winter is set to show it’s not quite done yet,” the agency posted on Facebook.

The winter event is expected to span several days and could also affect portions of western Nevada and southern Oregon.

On Saturday at 1:08 pm, the NWS Medford OR issued a winter storm warning valid from Sunday 10 am until Wednesday 4 am for South Central Siskiyou County and North Central and Southeast Siskiyou County.

"Heavy snow expected above 5000 feet through Monday morning with accumulations of 8 to 12 inches expected. After a brief lull in precipitation Monday afternoon, snow levels drop to around 2000 feet Monday night into Tuesday, remaining low through Thursday, the NWS reportedly said.

"Additional snow accumulations 6 to 12 inches are expected with 1 to 2 feet expected above 5000 ft. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph over high and exposed terrain," added the NWS.

"Snow levels of 5000 feet on Sunday into Sunday evening are expected to lower to 4500 feet Sunday night then down to 4000 feet Monday, it said.

Snow levels may lower further Monday night through Tuesday night down to 2000 feet by Tuesday morning.

"Travel may be very difficult to impossible. The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning and evening commutes," said the NWS.

"If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency."