Bay Area cold front to bring rain, snow

The National Weather Service issued a rare winter weather advisory for much of the Bay Area on Saturday, warning of near-freezing temperatures and slick, even snowy roads through Sunday afternoon.

The cold front that blanketed much of the Pacific Northwest with snow early in the weekend was expected to hit the the Bay Area overnight Saturday, pushing snow levels outside San Francisco to as low as 1,500 feet.

Forecasters advised Sunday travelers of snow accumulation and potentially hazardous driving conditions on Grizzly Peak Boulevard in the Berkeley hills, Highway 29 in Napa County, Highway 130 in Santa Clara County and Highways 9, 35 and 17 in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Conditions on smaller mountain roads could also be dicey.

By midday Sunday, as much as 4 inches of snow is expected in the North Bay hills, the East Bay hills and the Santa Cruz Mountains. The peaks in Big Sur could see up to 8 inches of

snow, forecasters said. Parts of the Santa Cruz Mountains already had seen a dusting Saturday, while hail was reported in some parts of the Bay Area, including Sausalito.

Lower elevations are forecast to receive between 0.25 and 0.75 inches of rain through Sunday. The weather system is expected to be accompanied by strong winds, with gusts up to 40 mph, adding to the chill.

The National Weather Service said temperatures dipping into the 30s overnight Saturday, and possibly the 20s Sunday night, could pose problems for “vulnerable populations,” plus plants, crops and outdoor animals.

At Lake Tahoe, 6 to 10 inches had already fallen Saturday, and the next front is expected to

bring even more, forecasters said.

“This storm (Friday) was very strong, but the one (overnight Saturday) will be significantly stronger,” said Mark Faucette, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Reno.

Up to 2 feet of snow is forecast for Lake Tahoe with as much as 3.5 feet expected to fall on the peaks above the lake, Faucette said.

Californians will only get a brief reprieve after the weekend system passes.

Another storm is forecast for the Sierra on Tuesday night or Wednesday, though weather watchers are still uncertain of its potential. Showers are expected again in the Bay Area on Tuesday night and could continue

through at least Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

“It’s not a big storm like a week ago — and not quite as cold — but still cold nonetheless,” said Steve Anderson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

At Yosemite National Park, roughly 18 to 24 inches of snow in the past week caused several hundred trees to topple and damaged dozens of park facilities and vehicles, officials said Friday. The park remained open, but some roads were closed because of snow.