Live Bay Area weather updates: Massive trees fall onto homes in North Bay
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The Bay Area is seeing another round of rain and low-level snow around the region Tuesday before slightly drier weather arrives midweek.
Snow is anticipated Tuesday at elevations above 2,500 feet in the North Bay, on the San Francisco Peninsula and East Bay, and at elevations above 3,000 feet in the South Bay and the counties of Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito.
TUESDAY:
11 p.m.
Trees fall on homes in Santa Rosa, Forestville
Two massive trees fell on homes in the North Bay.
"Next thing we know, the whole house is shaking and a big ole boom," said Nathan Shumate of Forestville.
"Heard this loud bang!" said Eric Furness of Santa Rosa.
Those are the descriptions of trees that came down on or near homes in the North Bay on Tuesday.
One tree fell onto a house in Santa Rosa and another came down on a home in the Forestville area.
"Very scary! One of the branches came through our living room, came through our ceiling, one is laying over the hood of our car," said Shumate.
Shumate was inside their Forestville home with his wife when a tree came crashing down on them. No one was hurt but Nathan had to hook up a generator just to call 911.
In Santa Rosa, a tree came right through the roof. No one was home at the time but there was a pet dog inside and that dog is okay. One witness said he actually heard another tree come down, but then saw emergency responders dealing with the house situation on the other side of his neighborhood.
Neighbors are the ones who actually realized that something wasn't right in Santa Rosa. They heard a loud hissing noise coming from outside the house.
The fire department responded and tell us that the tree broke a gas line as it crashed into the home. Emergency crews were able to shut the gas off and secure that line. Unfortunately the home is now in very bad shape and will require quite a bit of work. Officials say crews will decide Wednesday if that home will be red-tagged or yellow-tagged.
"It is definitely concerning and we're worried that if one comes down, it will hit another, will hit another, but it might eventually come down on one of our houses as well," said Furness.
9 p.m.
Palisades Tahoe delays opening Wednesday due to snowy conditions
Palisade Tahoe tweeted Monday night that Wednesday's operations will be delayed due to the high snowfall totals in the past 24 hours. They had 38 inches of snow Monday morning and unofficially got another 20 inches since then. On top of that they could see anywhere from 12 to 18 inches of snow overnight.
5 p.m.
Heavy rain, downed trees disrupt residents in Santa Cruz Mountains
Drivers experienced heavy rain on the drive up Highway 17 towards the Santa Cruz Mountains and it didn't take long to see snow on the side of the roads.
North of Boulder Creek on Highway 9, PG&E crews were busy clearing the road from several downed trees.
Boulder Creek residents said they're having to find alternate routes. Linda Copeland said a closure is located just past her driveway.
"Coming from San Jose, I've had to take alternate routes which are several around here. So it's taken me about half an hour to 45 minutes longer than usual," Copeland said.
Zach Birkhahn is also a Boulder Creek resident. Since he can walk to work, the waves of rain and wintery weather doesn't bother him much. He's well prepared.
"Lots of generators, lots of extra battery power and lights you know. We're going to be inevitable to lose power," Birkhahn said.
1:45 p.m.
Flood Advisory issued for Santa Clara Co.
The National Weather Service tweeted out Tuesday afternoon that a Flood Advisory is in effect for parts of Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Monterey counties until 4 p.m. NWS says this is due to urban and small stream flooding caused by excessive rainfall that is expected.
SATURDAY:
2 p.m.
Yosemite National Park closed due to severe winter conditions, the National Park Service announced
Yosemite National Park is closed due to severe winter conditions, the National Park Service announced Saturday.
The park will be closed to the public until Wednesday, March 1, park officials said.
7 a.m.
Highway 17 in Santa Cruz County reopens following snow closure
Highway 17 is back open Saturday morning after being closed for hours because of the snowy weather.
Friday's closures on Highway 17 were caused by icy roads, stuck cars and downed powerlines.
One powerline fell down, landing across all four lanes of the roadway.
Caltrans said there were at least 14 toppled trees as well.
Some residents say they were shocked from how empty the roads were.
With the road back open, a CHP spokesperson recommends drivers to slow down on slushy or icy roads, to avoid spinouts.
6 a.m.
WB direction of I-80 in the Sierra reopens
All the snow has made for dangerous conditions in the Sierra.
Interstate 80, going westbound is back open after a big accident backed up traffic for a while Friday.
Numerous spin outs in other locations have led to traffic being held at times as crews come in to clear the roadway.
Chains are required on 80 from three miles east of Gold Run all the way to the stateline.
On Highway 50, they're needed from Placerville to Meyers.
FRIDAY:
7 p.m.
WB I-80 reopens after earlier crash
CHP tweeted out that I-80 westbound is open at the Nevada stateline and in Truckee with chain control.
5:45 p.m.
Lake County sheriff declares a local emergency due to snow
Lake County Sheriff Rob Howe declared a local emergency on Friday due to low elevation snow and extreme cold. This declaration allows the county to receive additional support not otherwise available.
5:35 p.m.
SF breaks 132-year-old record for lowest temperature on Feb. 24
The National Weather Service says San Francisco's low of 39 degrees on Friday is a new record low for this day. The previous record was 40 degrees on Feb. 24 in 1891.
5:30 p.m.
WB I-80 closed due to multi-vehicle crash
CAL FIRE is working a multi-vehicle crash near Drum Forebay in Placer County that has shut down westbound traffic on I-80. There is no estimated time of reopening.
3:09 p.m.
HWY 17 reopens after closure due to snow, downed power lines and trees
The California Highway Patrol says both northbound lanes on Highway 17 are back open. Both southbound lanes are back open from Highway 85 to Big Moody Curve where it moves to one lane up to Summit Road then it's back to two lanes. CHP escorting traffic southbound.
12 p.m.
Santa Cruz County asks residents to avoid all travel except emergencies
Santa Cruz County emergency officials sent out a message to residents on Friday asking them to avoid all travel through the area except in cases of emergency. Snow, ice, falling trees and downed wires are severely impacting roads in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Officials say public safety and road crews are extremely strained and rescue may not be possible.
10:40 a.m.
I-80 reopens at Donner Summit
CHP reports that I-80 at Donner Summit is now back open only for passenger vehicles. They ask that drivers take their time, be slow, and leave more space in front of them.
7:15 a.m.
Widespread power outages in Calistoga
PG&E says that most of the city of Calistoga is without power. They are working to assess the cause but there is no estimated time of restoration.
7 a.m.
Cloverdale school district closed Friday
Students in the Cloverdale Unified School District will have a snow day Friday.
The district closed school due to the hazardous conditions from the winter storm. Heavy snow was falling overnight and in the morning in Cloverdale.
6:30 a.m.
100 vehicles stuck at Top of the World Lookout in Alameda County
CHP says that this has been cleared.
Alameda County Fire and the CHP is reporting that up to 100 vehicles are stuck in the snow at the Top of the World Lookout near Livermore.
This is at Patterson Pass along I-580, which is a backroad from Tracy to Livermore.
4:45 a.m.
Highway 29 closed
In the North Bay, Highway 29 north of Calistoga is closed due to snow, CHP says.
Snow has also been reported on the foothills in the Napa Valley.
4:30 a.m.
Highway 17 closed in both directions
The California Highway Patrol has closed both directions of Highway 17 in the Santa Cruz Mountains due to snow conditions, as well as a jackknifed big rig, and reports of downed trees.
Southbound 17 is closed at Bear Creek, and Northbound 17 is closed at Granite Creek.
CHP says there's an unknown time of opening and suggest using alternate routes.
THURSDAY:
9 p.m.
Highway 29 in North Bay closed due to hazardous conditions
The California Highway Patrol has closed both directions of Highway 29 between Tubbs Lane (Calistoga) and Bradford Road (Napa) due to "hazardous conditions."
CHP officials are advising drivers to use alternate routes.
5 p.m.
Hwy 101 reopens after PG&E closure
All northbound and southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 101 in Menlo Park, between Marsh and Willow Roads have been reopened, officials say. The lanes were previously closed due to repairs being made by PG&E.
5 p.m.
East Bay hills could see few inches of snow Thursday night
Many in Oakland woke up to some wild weather as they watched the snow come down over the Oakland Hills.
"People say that there aren't season in California, there are! There are!" Staggs says with a laugh. "It's not like the Midwest. But hey, it's kind of fun and different."
According to the National Weather Service, Thursday morning's snow fall was light compared to the what could come Thursday night. The East Bay hills could get up to few inches of snow in elevations above 2,000 feet.
This storm will likely bring winter like conditions, which can mean limited visibility and downed power lines and trees. PG&E is warning customers to be prepared for possible power outages.
5 p.m.
Residents in East Palo Alto, Menlo Park deal with extensive power outages
Power outages across the Bay Area are hitting some families hard, especially in San Mateo County.
According to PG&E, 4,000 customers in the East Palo Alto, Belle haven and Menlo Park area have been without power. Many people lost power Tuesday.
Fierce winds knocked down trees and damaged power lines across the Bay. PG&E says a tree along Highway 101 toppled over and damaged a power line.
To make those emergency repairs, traffic had to be stopped on this Thursday between Marsh Road and Willow Road in Menlo Park.
In East Palo Alto, Superintendent Gina Sudaria of Ravenswood City School District said five schools were impacted by power outages, so students didn't go to class.
At Woodland Apartments in East Palo Alto, Nick Hunt has been trying to make the best of a bad situation. His power has been out since Tuesday.
"With the frost advisory for the past few days, it's been not great. It's definitely been really hard. I can't cook. I think a lot of my stuff is going bad," said Hunt.
In Menlo Park, Sarah Teichner said her apartment has power - off and on. But there are a lot of families dealing with the cold without heat or electricity.
"There are people on Partridge in Menlo Park that have been going for two to three days without power. That's a low-cost building, a HUD building, a Section 8 building," said Teichner.
Late Thursday, PGE officials offered an update on repairs.
"This is all hands on deck here in San Mateo County, it's our highest priority in the PG&E system," said PGE regional VP Aaron Johnson. "The extent of the damage is beyond anything we've seen in decades."
Customers in East Palo Alto and Menlo Park are expected to have their power restored by 10 p.m. Thursday night.
4:45 p.m.
Residents enjoy snow day in the Santa Cruz Mountains
The snow continued accumulating in the higher elevations of the Santa Cruz Mountains throughout Thursday afternoon. The news of the snow being so close to home inspired several people to venture out of their communities and see it for themselves.
"First time I've seen snow in a long time in California this area," said Boulder Creek resident Jordan Roe.
"We took a drive over the mountains, Highway 9. We were surprised to see the snow over there, it's absolutely gorgeous," said Sue Bowman, "Twelve miles from home, I live in San Jose, we never expected it to snow but it's snowing up there."
The National Weather Service says a Winter Storm Warning remains in effect for parts of the Santa Cruz mountains from 7 p.m. Thursday until 11 a.m. Friday.
4:30 p.m.
North Bay prepares for more snowy cold weather
In the North Bay, snow, hail and super cold weather is delivering a big punch of Winter to residents.
Neighbors in Mill Valley stepped outside to a hailstorm Thursday morning, the deluge of tiny pellets lasted for several minutes before melting away.
Snow fell in the Mendocino County town of Willits, Sky the dog was loving it, he experienced snow for the first time, several inches of snow fell here overnight.
The face of Mt. St. Helena in Napa County, its elevation 4,000 feet covered in fresh snow, stayed shrouded in clouds most of the day.
There were flurries on ABC7's Tam Cam. This was likely just a taste of what's to come. Several inches of snow are predicted and are sure to draw a crowd to check it out.
"It's exciting because it doesn't happen often. It's in our backyard. If you're coming up try to park in Mill Valley and hike up, it's safer than driving," said Marin County Fire Captain Matt Watson.
In Petaluma, rain not snow made for some slick roadways on highway 101. The CHP is urging everyone to slow down.
3:45 p.m.
Oakland Zoo's Glowfari canceled for Thursday night
Oakland Zoo sent out a notice that its popular Glowfari event has been canceled tonight due to incoming rain. Visitors who had reservations for tonight can expect an automatic refund, the zoo said.
3:30 p.m.
Reporter of hail, graupel in North Bay
The North Bay is experiencing a rare mixture of weather phenomena on Thursday as cold temperatures bring rain that turns to snow in some areas while thunderstorms are forecast for the evening.
A mixture of hail and graupel -- slushy snow pellets -- pelted Vallejo around noon and more hail was reported in Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park around 1:30 p.m. The Sonoma County coastal mountains are experiencing a peppering of snow as well.
2:20 p.m.
Highway 101 in Menlo Park closed due to PG&E power line repairs
U.S. Highway 101 is shutting down in both directions in Menlo Park on Thursday afternoon while PG&E crews replace a power line damaged by a fallen tree near the highway, according to the utility.
The repairs are being done on a line that crosses Highway 101 between Marsh and Willow roads, PG&E officials said. The work is estimated to be complete by 6 p.m.
San Mateo County has had widespread outages during this week's cold and windy weather. Menlo Park city officials said Thursday that outages have affected nearly 1 in 3 people in the county.
The city said it received 27 calls for trees down and 46 calls for broken tree limbs or other tree ussues between 1 p.m. Tuesday and 4 p.m. Wednesday.
1:35 p.m.
I-80 stopped in both directions due to whiteout conditions: CHP
California High Patrol says that I-80 eastbound traffic is being held at Colfax and I-80 westbound traffic is being held at the Nevada State line due to whiteout conditions and spin-outs. Authorities say to expect long delays.
5:30 a.m.
NWS extends freeze warning into Friday
The cold storm currently moving through the Bay Area will stick around a little longer.
The National Weather Service extended its freeze warning for interior areas of another 24 hours into Friday, according to update issued just before 5 a.m. Thursday.
A winter storm warning now lasts until 11 a.m. Friday, with snow still expected at elevations above 1,500 to 2,000 feet.
Rain and snow showers will become more widespread Thursday evening into Friday at lower elevations, with a 10 percent chance of thunderstorms Thursday into Friday, according to the weather service.
5 a.m.
Snow falling in Los Gatos
Snow was falling in the Los Gatos area Thursday morning around Highway 17. Thick, fluffy flakes were falling and covering cars in the area.
ABC7 crews even saw Caltrans snow plows out plowing the highway, working to clear the roads early for commuters.
Bay City News contributed to this report.
