Another round of widespread rain and heavy snow in the mountains is shaping up for recently drenched California and much of Nevada in the coming week and could create hazards for holiday travelers, forecasters said Saturday.
Several waves of precipitation are forecast to move inland as a cold low pressure system from the Gulf of Alaska deepens off the West Coast, the National Weather Service said.
The timing of the precipitation was not certain but was likely to begin in the far north on Monday, become more widespread on Tuesday and extend through Southern California by midweek.
Coastal peaks north of San Francisco Bay could receive up to 8 inches (20.3 centimeters) of rain by Christmas morning.
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The Sacramento weather office said mountain snow levels could initially start below 3,000 feet (914 meters) and then trend above 4,500 feet (1,372 meters).
“Holiday travel could be significantly disrupted by these storms, with little break in the snow during this extended event,” the Sacramento office said.
“There will be few, if any, meaningful breaks in the weather for the Sierra once the storms begin on Tuesday, so plan ahead,” the Reno, Nevada, weather office added.
The system's strength by the time it reaches Southern California is uncertain, but forecasters urged residents near wildfire burn scars to monitor forecasts.
