It wasn’t the “Snowmageddon” that stunned Redding in 2019, when nearly a foot of snow snapped trees, brought down power lines and caused widespread damage throughout the city and Shasta County.
But on Thursday, Feb. 19, Redding woke up to a second day of late-winter snow that saw fat flakes fall starting at 7 a.m. and continue throughout the morning, lightly coating treetops, roofs, sidewalks, lawns and hedges.
About three hours later, the snow show had tapered off. By 11 a.m., the sun was out and most of the inch or so of snow that had accumulated had melted away.
Snow had been falling in parts of Redding on Wednesday morning, Feb. 18, as another round of winter weather hit the North State and created light snowfall in the city of Shasta Lake north of Redding and sent a mixture of rain and snow into downtown Redding.
Temperatures were expected to drop well below freezing, dipping to 24 degrees with frost on Thursday night and into Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service in Sacramento’s latest weather forecast, leading to the possibility that wet areas could ice up after dark.
The weather agency issued a freeze warning from midnight Thursday to 9 a.m. Friday in Redding, Red Bluff and other communities in the northern Sacramento Valley.
The Friday forecast called for partly sunny skies and a high of 46 degrees followed by a low of 33 degrees Friday night with a chance of rain, the National Weather Service said.
Rain is also expected on Saturday, with a high of 49 degrees and low of 41 degrees expected, the weather service said.
Temperatures in the low -to-mid-50s, along with more rain, are projected for the upcoming Sunday and Monday in Redding.
Rain is likely for this coming Wednesday and Thursday, with temperatures expected to break into the low 60s, the weather service said.
After that, the agency forecasts rain in Redding through Wednesday, Feb. 25.
North of Redding, where snow accumulated, chain requirements were imposed Thursday morning on Interstate 5 at the Fawndale exit 10 miles north of Redding, the California Highway Patrol said.
North of Redding, “heavy snowfall is expected in the area,” said the CHP in a Thursday morning Facebook post.
In Shasta County on Highway 299, chains were required on all vehicles — except 4-wheel-drives with snow tires on all 4 wheels — from Montgomery Creek to 3 miles east of Montgomery Creek and from 10 miles west to 6 miles west of Burney, Caltrans said.
Chains or snow tires were also required on Highway 299 from 6 miles west of Burney to 3 miles west of Burney, the agency said on its website on Thursday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the water level at Lake Shasta, the state’s largest manmade reservoir, was expected to go up again due to the snowmelt and runoff from the latest rainfall.
The lake was 78% full as of Tuesday, Feb. 17, the California Department of Water Resources reported. The lake is at 113% of its historical average.
Lake Shasta started the year at 73% of its capacity, reaching 81% on Jan. 6.
Michele Chandler covers dining, food, public safety and whatever else comes up for the Redding Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. Accepts story tips at 530-338-7753 and at mrchandler@gannett.com. Please support our entire newsroom’s commitment to public service journalism by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Redding gets more snow. What to expect from winter weather ahead
Reporting by Michele Chandler, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
