Meteorologist Kolin Thee

Some very impressive rainfall totals over the past 24 hours across the Northstate region. The King Range leads the way with over 6 inches of total rainfall! Below is a list of areas across the Northstate and their rainfall totals as of 4:40 PM PST.

McKinleyville- 3.25"
Trinity Center- 3.24"
Eureka- 2.84"
Redding- 2.34"
Crescent City- 2.33"
Weaverville- 2.07"
Fortuna- 1.46"
Mount Shasta- 1.15"
Oroville- 0.74"
Chico- 0.60"
Red Bluff-0.54"
KRCR News Channel 7
North Coast News TV

🚨 WIND ALERT FOR THE NORTHCOAST & COASTAL RANGES 🚨

A Wind Advisory and High Wind Warning go into effect tonight at 10 PM and remain in place through Sunday at 10 AM. The mustard yellow represents the High Wind Warning and the light brown represents the Wind Advisory.

💨 Coastal areas:
Gusts 35–45 mph with a few reaching near 50 mph

⛰️ Higher elevations:
Potential for 60–70 mph gusts with a few reaching near 80 mph

⏰ Timing the strongest winds:
The most powerful gusts arrive early Sunday morning with the cold front.

⚠️ Impacts:

Difficult travel, especially for high-profile vehicles

Downed tree limbs & isolated power outages possible

Secure outdoor objects now

North Coast News TV

🚨 FREEZE WARNING REMINDERS 🚨

With a Freeze Warning going into effect at midnight, the entire Valley within the Northstate is included. Here are a few things to remember heading into tonight.

A hard freeze is expected tonight, with some locations falling several degrees below 32° by early morning.

Here’s what you need to do:

🧥 Dress in layers if you’ll be outside — it will be very cold early in the morning.

🪴 Bring sensitive plants indoors to prevent cold damage.

🐾 Bring pets inside and make sure outdoor animals have a warm, dry shelter with food and plenty of water.

This will be one of the coldest nights we’ve felt in a while, so don’t wait until the last minute to get ready.

❄️ Hard freeze conditions are possible by early morning.

Stay warm, Northstate!

Snow in Redding made for some great picture opportunities… of flowers… and Stella! It was short-lived, but much needed!

Finally hit 32 degrees in Redding! This should help the last of the snow stick more efficiently!

❄️ Snow in the Valley?

I have included graphics of snow estimates, 10-Day's for Redding and Chico, and overnight lows for Thursday Night.

Snow accumulation is looking more likely for the northern Sacramento Valley early Thursday morning.

🌨️ Shasta Lake City: 2–3" possible
🌨️ Redding: 1–2" possible
🌨️ Red Bluff: a light dusting can’t be ruled out

Farther south — Chico, Oroville, and Corning — snowflakes may mix in, but no accumulation is expected.
⚠️ What could limit totals?

🌡️ Warm ground temperatures
After weeks of mild weather, soil temps are still in the mid to upper 40s, which will cause snow to melt on contact — especially on roads and sidewalks.

🌡️ Air temperatures right near freezing
We’re walking a fine line.
Just a few degrees warmer could reduce snowfall rates and impact totals.
🧊 What happens after the storm?

Cold air settles in behind the system:

🥶 Thursday night → Friday morning:
Widespread below-freezing temperatures are expected.

➡️ Bring sensitive plants and pets indoors
➡️ Be prepared for a hard freeze

More rain is expected into the weekend and next week, but temperatures will be much warmer with the incoming system.
KRCR News Channel 7

❄️ WINTER STORM WARNING: SUNDAY 10 PM – WEDNESDAY 10 PM ❄️

A powerful and very cold storm will bring significant rainfall totals, mountain snow, strong winds, thunderstorms and dangerous travel conditions through midweek.

Snow will begin in the highest elevations Sunday night, then snow levels will rapidly fall as colder air moves in. By early to midweek, snow levels could drop to 1,500–2,000 feet, bringing accumulating snow into the foothills.

Expected Snow Totals:
🏔 2,000–2,500 ft: Up to 12 inches
🏔 2,500–3,500 ft: 1–2 feet
🏔 Above 3,500 ft: Several feet possible

Strong winds in the mountains will gust 45–55 mph, leading to areas of blowing snow and periods of near-zero visibility.

Valley Areas:

Snow in the valley remains unlikely for most locations.

Redding could see a few snowflakes, and a brief dusting can’t be ruled out. The main issue continues to be dry air near the surface, which will cause much of the falling snow to evaporate before reaching the ground. That evaporation process will gradually moisten the lower levels of the atmosphere, so a few flakes may eventually make it to the surface, but warm soil temperatures from the past several weeks of warmer days will make accumulation very difficult. It would take several inches of snow to cool the ground enough for anything to stick.

Gusty winds of 35–45 mph will still be possible in the valley from Monday morning through Wednesday night.

Travel Impacts

⚠️ Chain controls are likely
⚠️ Dangerous mountain travel
⚠️ Possible road closures
⚠️ Periods of near-zero visibility

If you have travel plans through higher elevations, you should strongly consider adjusting them now. Travel conditions may become hazardous — and at times nearly impossible — during the peak of the storm.

KRCR News Channel 7

Currently in Louisiana… NOT in California

While we should begin to see rain starting anytime soon, we aren’t the only ones seeing active weather across the United States…

As of 6:27PM pst, there are 9 active tornado warnings across portions of Louisiana along the leading edge of a very expansive storm complex (QLCS). These spin ups occur very rapidly and can be gone just as fast as they form, we refer to them as meso-vortices.

A Winter Storm Watch — highlighted in blue — has been issued for much of the higher terrain across Northern California and will take effect Sunday evening. This watch will likely be upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning within the next 24 to 48 hours as confidence continues to increase.

Snow levels are expected to fall significantly, potentially dropping to around 2,000 feet by early to mid-next week, which could bring impacts into the foothill communities. Between 3,000 and 4,000 feet, snowfall totals of a foot or more are possible. Above that, several feet of snow could accumulate in the mountains.

This storm will likely bring chain controls, dangerous travel conditions, and periods of near-zero visibility, especially over mountain passes. Road and highway closures are possible during the height of the storm. If you have travel plans over the holiday weekend that take you through higher elevations, you should strongly consider adjusting those plans now. Conditions could become hazardous — and in some cases, nearly impossible — for mountain travel.

KRCR News Channel 7

A very cold week ahead!🥶

Well-below-average temperatures will persist into next week, with daytime highs in the lower 50s and possibly even the upper 40s, and overnight lows nearing 32 degrees in the Valley. Expect rain, thunderstorms, and a lot of mountain snow to go along with the cooler temperatures.
KRCR News Channel 7

COLD STORM INBOUND!

A cold-core storm system will begin moving into the region this weekend — but what exactly does that mean?

Unlike a typical atmospheric river, this system will contain much less moisture. Instead of being driven by a strong plume of Pacific moisture, it is powered by colder air aloft. The term “cold-core” comes from the coldest temperatures being located near the center of the low-pressure system.

Here’s what that means for us:

Temperatures- Thursday and Friday will likely be the last of the milder days for a while. As this system moves in, temperatures will fall below average and may remain there through much of next week. Several Valley locations could flirt with freezing temperatures overnight.

Rain- Rain totals with cold-core systems tend to be lower and more scattered compared to atmospheric rivers. Showers will be hit-or-miss, with some areas receiving more than others.
While this is not expected to be a major flooding event, multiple waves rotating through the system could allow rainfall totals to gradually add up through the week.

Mountain Snow- Snow levels will drop significantly due to the colder air associated with this system. Snow levels could fall to around 2,000 feet by early to mid-next week.
Higher elevations may pick up several feet of snow over time, which would be beneficial for ski areas.

Thunderstorms- The colder air aloft will also increase instability early next week, bringing the potential for multiple days of thunderstorm development. It’s still too early to determine how strong these storms may become, but some could produce locally heavier rainfall and small hail.

We’ll continue refining the details as higher-resolution models come into range. Stay tuned for updates as we get closer.

KRCR News Channel 7