For many Mendocino County residents, the forecasts of a White Christmas came at the tail end of celebrations waking up today finding nearby hillsides powdered with a dusting of snow from the ongoing winter storm
As per the Caltrans Quickmap, an invaluable resource that should be reviewed before travel during this inclement weather, there are no significant impacts to traffic in Mendocino County as of 10:16 a.m. Do practice pre-emptive driving safety by slowing down and using your lights.
Anecdotally, we have heard reports from rural road residents of snow impacting their roadways including residents in Brooktrails who told us no one is “getting off the mountain unless there in a four wheel drive or have chains.”
A Winter Storm Warning is still in effect across the Emerald Triangle, with predictions of “significant mountain snowfall” to continue into tomorrow morning.
This morning the NWS Eureka Office also announced the potential for coastal hail through tomorrow morning which could “cause hail to accumulate on roadways creating hazardous driving conditions.” The NWS announcement specifically mentioned this could also affect the Highway 101 corridor.
The effects of the storm have thankfully been metered thus far. Over 1,000 residents of Round Valley experienced a prolonged power shut-off this morning. It has been successfully restored. Yesterday evening multiple vehicles were stuck in the snow on State Route 175 between Hopland and Lake County. Other Mendocino County roadways that have faced impacts historically due to snow include Ridgewood Summit on Highway 101 south of Willits, State Route 253 (a.k.a. the Boonville-Ukiah Road), and Rattlesnake Summit near Laytonville.
Below is an offering of the snow from Mendocino County residents. If you have pictures, please, email them to us at matthewplafever@gmail.com.
