Forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Reno have issued an Urgent Winter Weather message for Lassen County, along with eastern Plumas and eastern Sierra counties, including Susanville, Loyalton, Westwood, Sierraville, and Portola as a major winter storm is set to drop up to a foot of snow here in the valley by week’s end.
The Winter Storm Watch is in effect from late Wednesday through late Saturday night.
Blizzard conditions are likely, beginning early Thursday morning with snow accumulations of 1 to 3 feet for Plumas, Sierra and western Lassen Counties, and up to 12 inches along Highway 395 here in the Honey Lake Valley.
Localized snowfall totals of four to eight feet are possible near Lassen Park, Yuba Pass, and Lake Davis.
Winds throughout the storm will be gusting as high as 70mph.
Travel could be impossible due to blizzard conditions. Very strong winds could cause extensive damage to trees and power lines.
Storms of this magnitude are rare and capable of closing major roads and damaging power infrastructure for extended periods of time. Make sure you have food, water, and a secondary heat source for more than several days in your home in case of extended power outages. If you must travel, do it before the storm arrives as travel may be impossible once the storm arrives.