Our weather team is calling Sunday an Alert Day because of the expected impacts from a strong storm, which has plenty of moisture thanks to an atmospheric river. Sunday’s winds will be the strongest we have seen in Northern California this season and could cause power outages across the region.Across the state, more than 204,000 customers have lost power, as of Sunday at 1:39 p.m. That includes several thousand customers in Sacramento County. As of noon, 20 flights in and out of the Sacramento International Airport have been canceled.Leer en español.(See the video player below for live updates every half hour from 9:30 a.m. through 3 p.m. See real-time liveblog updates on storm impacts and road conditions below today’s forecast breakdown.) Get California Storm ReadyDownload our app for the latest breaking news and weather alertsTrack live California Doppler radarSee our live traffic mapChain controls? Track the latest California road conditions informationSend us your weather videos and photosSacramento County activates respite centers ahead of storms, seeks donationsTrack California power outages by countyHere is a closer look at the forecast. Rain: Steady rain is breaking up in many Valley locations as of midday Sunday. Showers will be hit and miss through the afternoon and evening. An isolated downpour is possible, but flooding is not a widespread concern for our viewing area. Creeks are expected to remain in their banks.Wind: The location of the strongest winds is expected to continue to shift north Sunday afternoon.Gusts near 50 mph have been reported in the Fairfield area for several hours.By mid-afternoon, the area of strongest winds will spread north into Sacramento and east into the Foothills. Gusts of 50 mph or more are possible throughout the Foothills as well as the east side of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley for several hours.Winds of this strength can cause power outages as well as limb and tree damage.The wind will slowly back off late Sunday evening. Sunday night will be breezy, but the damaging wind threat will be over. Snow: Steady snow began impacting Sierra travel before sunrise Sunday. Snow will continue without breaks all day and into Sunday night.Snowfall rates over 2 inches per hour are possible. That combined with strong winds over the Sierra crest could create whiteout conditions from Sunday afternoon through early Monday morning. Two to three feet of snow is still the expectation for the passes. Road closures are possible.Wind will be less intense on Monday, but steady snow will continue to create difficult travel above 5000 feet.Meanwhile, Southern California and Central Coast communities are also expecting significant impacts from the storm. Evacuation orders and warnings have been issued. Looking ahead, Monday will be breezy with occasional rain. Here are live updates on the winter storm in California 1 :30 p.m.: Thousands of Xfinity customers are without service in Sacramento County, according to the provider’s outage map. Customers are experiencing outages from downtown to Rancho Cordova At least 6,000 SMUD customers are also without power in south Sacramento. Most of the outages are in the Arden-Arcade and south Sacramento areas. See SMUD’s outage map here. 12:45 p.m.: There are big power outages right now in Bay Area and Central Coast communities. 12:40 p.m.: KCRA 3’s Erin Heft is in Herald, near Galt, where power lines are down. SMUD crews are attending to the wires, which have melted small spots in the streets and “turned the asphalt to glass.”12:10 p.m.: According to Caltrans, Highway 89 is closed near Emerald Bay due to unsafe conditions. Noon: The Sacramento International Airport’s website lists 20 canceled arriving and departing flights as of noon. See what has been canceled. 11:29 a.m.: Heather Waldman says winds in Fairfield have been gusting more than 50 mph for the past hour. 11:03 a.m.: Just before 9 a.m., a large puddle covered lanes on Highway 50 near Harbor Boulevard in West Sacramento, CHP online logs said. KCRA 3’s Erin Heft said this was not a major issue. 10:58 a.m.: Highway 1 is closed at the southern San Mateo County line because of downed power lines, Cal Fire said. See more Bay Area storm impacts at NBCBayArea.com. 10:45 a.m.: See below for Heather Waldman’s forecast update at this time. She says there is a good band of rain north and south of Sacramento. 10:40 a.m.: A fallen tree on a vehicle closed Highway 101 in Santa Rosa.10:32 a.m.: Heather Waldman produced these two graphics that show the expected wind and Sierra travel impacts. See her latest video update below: 10:23 a.m.: Nearly 128,000 customers have already lost power across California. That includes more than 28,000 in Santa Clara County, 20,000 in Santa Cruz County, 17,500 in Monterey County, 5,000 in San Joaquin County and 4,000 in Solano County. See the full statewide power situation. 10 a.m.: Seen Heather Waldman’s update on weather conditions and Sacramento rainfall totals so far in the video below. 9:27 a.m.: Sacramento has received .70 of an inch of rain so far. Vacaville and San Francisco have gotten more than an inch. 9:21 a.m.: The Sierra Avalanche Center cites a high risk of a backcountry avalanche today. See their full forecast.9:13 a.m.: LA County has issued some evacuation orders because of the risk of mud or debris flows. See more SoCal storm impact coverage at NBCLA.com. See a closer look at the SoCal forecast below: 9:09 a.m.: Did you know Chief Meteorologist Mark Finan also posts daily weather briefings on YouTube? You might want to subscribe this weekend. 9:07 a.m.: Here is a river forecast update for Tehama County in Northern California. 9:02 a.m.: CHP is bringing the memes…8:25 a.m.: Homewood ski resort already received 14 inches of snow before 7 a.m. Much more Sierra snow is expected later today. 8:05 a.m.: Tamara Berg reports from LiveTracker 3 that there have been some spinouts on the Yolo Causeway. She hasn’t seen the roadway flooding that was reported on CHP online logs. Here’s a full look at our 8 a.m. storm coverage below. 7:50 a.m.: A crash has been reported on southbound Interstate 5 at Sutterville Road in Sacramento, according to CHP online logs. 7:50 a.m.: There is roadway flooding westbound on the Yolo Causeway, according to CHP online logs. 7:41 a.m.: Here’s another update on chain controls. 7:38 a.m.: Here’s a look at the timing of rain and snow in Northern California.7:30 a.m.: Meteorologist Heather Waldman says if you haven’t already traveled to the Sierra, it’s not advised to do so now. Chain controls are already in effect. See the latest road conditions from Caltrans here. | Related | What’s an atmospheric river? A pineapple express? Here’s an explainer Follow our KCRA weather team on social mediaChief meteorologist Mark Finan on Facebook and TwitterMeteorologist Tamara Berg on Facebook and TwitterMeteorologist Eileen Javora on FacebookMeteorologist Dirk Verdoorn on FacebookMeteorologist/climate reporter Heather Waldman on Facebook and TwitterWatch our forecasts on TV or onlineHere’s where to find our latest video forecast. You can also watch a livestream of our latest newscast here. The banner on our website turns red when we’re live.We’re also streaming on the Very Local app for Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV.
Our weather team is calling Sunday an Alert Day because of the expected impacts from a strong storm, which has plenty of moisture thanks to an atmospheric river. Sunday’s winds will be the strongest we have seen in Northern California this season and could cause power outages across the region.
Across the state, more than 204,000 customers have lost power, as of Sunday at 1:39 p.m. That includes several thousand customers in Sacramento County. As of noon, 20 flights in and out of the Sacramento International Airport have been canceled.
Leer en español.
(See the video player below for live updates every half hour from 9:30 a.m. through 3 p.m. See real-time liveblog updates on storm impacts and road conditions below today’s forecast breakdown.)
Get California Storm Ready
Here is a closer look at the forecast.
Rain: Steady rain is breaking up in many Valley locations as of midday Sunday. Showers will be hit and miss through the afternoon and evening. An isolated downpour is possible, but flooding is not a widespread concern for our viewing area. Creeks are expected to remain in their banks.
Wind: The location of the strongest winds is expected to continue to shift north Sunday afternoon.
Gusts near 50 mph have been reported in the Fairfield area for several hours.
By mid-afternoon, the area of strongest winds will spread north into Sacramento and east into the Foothills. Gusts of 50 mph or more are possible throughout the Foothills as well as the east side of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley for several hours.
Winds of this strength can cause power outages as well as limb and tree damage.
The wind will slowly back off late Sunday evening. Sunday night will be breezy, but the damaging wind threat will be over.
Snow: Steady snow began impacting Sierra travel before sunrise Sunday. Snow will continue without breaks all day and into Sunday night.
Snowfall rates over 2 inches per hour are possible. That combined with strong winds over the Sierra crest could create whiteout conditions from Sunday afternoon through early Monday morning. Two to three feet of snow is still the expectation for the passes. Road closures are possible.
Wind will be less intense on Monday, but steady snow will continue to create difficult travel above 5000 feet.
Meanwhile, Southern California and Central Coast communities are also expecting significant impacts from the storm. Evacuation orders and warnings have been issued.
Looking ahead, Monday will be breezy with occasional rain.
Here are live updates on the winter storm in California
1 :30 p.m.: Thousands of Xfinity customers are without service in Sacramento County, according to the provider’s outage map. Customers are experiencing outages from downtown to Rancho Cordova
At least 6,000 SMUD customers are also without power in south Sacramento. Most of the outages are in the Arden-Arcade and south Sacramento areas.
See SMUD’s outage map here.
12:45 p.m.: There are big power outages right now in Bay Area and Central Coast communities.
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12:40 p.m.: KCRA 3’s Erin Heft is in Herald, near Galt, where power lines are down. SMUD crews are attending to the wires, which have melted small spots in the streets and “turned the asphalt to glass.”
12:10 p.m.: According to Caltrans, Highway 89 is closed near Emerald Bay due to unsafe conditions.
Noon: The Sacramento International Airport’s website lists 20 canceled arriving and departing flights as of noon. See what has been canceled.
11:29 a.m.: Heather Waldman says winds in Fairfield have been gusting more than 50 mph for the past hour.
11:03 a.m.: Just before 9 a.m., a large puddle covered lanes on Highway 50 near Harbor Boulevard in West Sacramento, CHP online logs said. KCRA 3’s Erin Heft said this was not a major issue.
10:58 a.m.: Highway 1 is closed at the southern San Mateo County line because of downed power lines, Cal Fire said. See more Bay Area storm impacts at NBCBayArea.com.
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10:45 a.m.: See below for Heather Waldman’s forecast update at this time. She says there is a good band of rain north and south of Sacramento.
10:40 a.m.: A fallen tree on a vehicle closed Highway 101 in Santa Rosa.
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10:32 a.m.: Heather Waldman produced these two graphics that show the expected wind and Sierra travel impacts.
See her latest video update below:
10:23 a.m.: Nearly 128,000 customers have already lost power across California. That includes more than 28,000 in Santa Clara County, 20,000 in Santa Cruz County, 17,500 in Monterey County, 5,000 in San Joaquin County and 4,000 in Solano County. See the full statewide power situation.
10 a.m.: Seen Heather Waldman’s update on weather conditions and Sacramento rainfall totals so far in the video below.
9:27 a.m.: Sacramento has received .70 of an inch of rain so far. Vacaville and San Francisco have gotten more than an inch.
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9:21 a.m.: The Sierra Avalanche Center cites a high risk of a backcountry avalanche today. See their full forecast.
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9:13 a.m.: LA County has issued some evacuation orders because of the risk of mud or debris flows. See more SoCal storm impact coverage at NBCLA.com.
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See a closer look at the SoCal forecast below:
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9:09 a.m.: Did you know Chief Meteorologist Mark Finan also posts daily weather briefings on YouTube? You might want to subscribe this weekend.
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9:07 a.m.: Here is a river forecast update for Tehama County in Northern California.
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9:02 a.m.: CHP is bringing the memes…
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8:25 a.m.: Homewood ski resort already received 14 inches of snow before 7 a.m. Much more Sierra snow is expected later today.
8:05 a.m.: Tamara Berg reports from LiveTracker 3 that there have been some spinouts on the Yolo Causeway. She hasn’t seen the roadway flooding that was reported on CHP online logs.
Here’s a full look at our 8 a.m. storm coverage below.
7:50 a.m.: A crash has been reported on southbound Interstate 5 at Sutterville Road in Sacramento, according to CHP online logs.
7:50 a.m.: There is roadway flooding westbound on the Yolo Causeway, according to CHP online logs.
7:41 a.m.: Here’s another update on chain controls.
7:38 a.m.: Here’s a look at the timing of rain and snow in Northern California.
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7:30 a.m.: Meteorologist Heather Waldman says if you haven’t already traveled to the Sierra, it’s not advised to do so now. Chain controls are already in effect. See the latest road conditions from Caltrans here.
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| Related | What’s an atmospheric river? A pineapple express? Here’s an explainer
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