Sunshine in North State to give way to more rain, snow this weekend. When's rain going to stop?
After several days of rain and cloudy weather, the skies over the North State cleared enough Thursday to give residents a glimpse of the surrounding snow-covered peaks.
However, more clouds and rain may be on the way this weekend, according to the National Weather Service. The forecast Friday is for mostly cloudy skies and a slight chance of rain Friday night for Redding. More snow and strong winds are in the forecast for Siskiyou County and the Interstate 5 corridor.
The chance of rain in Redding rises to 60% Saturday and then 70% on Sunday, the weather service said.
There's also a chance of rain on Monday and Tuesday.
As of Thursday, more than 11 inches of rain had fallen in March at the Redding Regional Airport, the weather service reported. The normal for March is about 4 inches. The total since the beginning of the year was 24 inches.
The rainfall this year has also gone a long way to filling Lake Shasta and Trinity Lake.
As of midnight Wednesday, Lake Shasta was 104% of average for the date and 82% full, while Trinity Lake was 51% of average for this time of year and 37% full, according to the State Department of Water Resources.
More snow for I-5 corridor, Siskiyou County
The north Interstate 5 corridor could get a little more snow and wind over the weekend as western Siskiyou County gets hit with another big snowstorm, according to the National Weather Service's Medford branch.
The agency issued a winter storm warning for western Siskiyou County, in effect Friday until 11 p.m. Sunday. Motorists and residents will see heavy snowfall on roads and in communities above 2,500 feet.
The worst will hit around Sawyers Bar, 25 miles southeast of Etna, said meteorologist Alexis Hermansen at the weather service's Medford branch. The area will get 10 to 15 inches of snow. Gusty winds up to 45 mph could bring down tree branches and cause whiteout conditions.
The storm won't be as strong along I-5 near Dunsmuir, Mount Shasta and Yreka, Hermansen said. The Mount Shasta area will get some light snow and wind around 15 to 20 mph. Strong wind gusts could reach up to 45 mph, but there won't likely be enough snowfall to cause whiteout conditions for motorists.
As of Friday morning, Mount Shasta received 30,57 inches of liquid water in the form of rain and snow since Jan. 1, Hermansen said. That's about 12.5 inches above it's historic norm this time of year: 18.14 inches.
Reporter Damon Arthur welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834, by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on Twitter at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Sunshine in Redding will give way to more rain this weekend
