Christmas Eve in the Sierra: Updates, road conditions along I-80, Highway 50

Updated: December 24, 2024, 9:29 am PST

LA CRUZ IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. BUT FIRST LET’S GO TO METEOROLOGIST KELLY CURRAN TO CHECK THE FORECAST. YES, AND WE CONTINUE TO SEE RAIN NOW. AND THIS IS A LIVE VIEW OUTSIDE OF RANCHO CORDOVA WHERE THERE IS STILL A BEAUTIFUL CONSTANT RAINFALL. AND IT WAS HEAVY AT TIMES WHERE WE SEE GUSTY WIND. These are finally starting to decrease and the snow depths are falling. Now I’m starting to see snow falling in the Sierra. This is a look at the radar image. THERE’S A LOT GOING ON HERE. RAIN FOR YUBA CITY SACRAMENTO STOCKTON MODESTO. We had a few thunderstorms in the Sierra before. THESE ARE EXCLUDED AND NOW WE’RE TRACKING THE SNOW THAT’S FALLING IN THUNDER BLUE CANYON. We’re still switching gears for you. It rained in Grass Valley and. It’s actually raining somewhat moderately to heavily in Pollock Pines right now. Let’s take a look at these temperatures. SO THEY ACTUALLY FALLED AROUND LAKE TAHOE. Temperatures will now drop into the mid 30s. We are in the 40s for the foothills and under 50s for most of the valley. THESE WILL MAYBE LOWER A FEW MORE DEGREES BEFORE THEY START CLIMBING AGAIN AND ENTER INTO THE AFTERNOON AND THE RAIN FINALLY STOP. THE WINDS WILL CERTAINLY BE FRESH THIS MORNING. It’s starting to decline. SACRAMENTO NOW AT SEVEN MILES PER HOUR. SOUTH LAKE TAHOE 14. THERE’S STILL A FEW GUSTS, WITH GUSTS ABOUT 30, BUT ALSO ALMOST FINISHED. Today in SACRAMENTO we expect showers to generally end around 1:00 p.m. this afternoon. THEN THE SUN COULD ACTUALLY PEEK THROUGH THE CLOUDS A LITTLE. We’ll see those highs climb into the upper 50s tonight. It’s all about the fog. WE’LL TALK MORE ABOUT THIS IN ABOUT TEN MINUTES. IN ORDER. THANK YOU, KELLY. OH, AND NOW WE GO TO MELANIE WINGO. OUTSIDE IN A LIVE TRACKER. THREE. MELANIE, WHERE ARE YOU AND what are the streets like? So we headed to SACRAMENTO and headed back east on Highway 50. We headed west and hit the area known as the “Spaghetti Bowl,” which is a confluence of all the highways that converge right near downtown. AND WHAT WE’RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS WE’RE GOING BACK ON THE HIGHWAY AGAIN, TOWARD THE EASTERN HIGHWAY 50. WE’RE FOLLOWING ALL THE RULES AND TRYING TO DRIVE IT SLOWLY BECAUSE IT’S A BIT SLIPPY THERE. AS KELLY mentioned, the rain really hasn’t let up all that much. We did see that it was brighter at times and it was the first thing we noticed when we set off this morning, but we had to keep our wipers on the whole time. You can see the water dripping from our tires and wheel well. CAMERA AND EVEN ON OUR CAMERA. THIS IS ALSO ON LIVE TRACKER THREE. We didn’t really manage to clear the rain from the camera lens up there all morning. We’ve just been seeing this rain all morning. With some road spray, the spray is more visible when you are driving on the highway and can feel the higher speeds of the vehicles around you. CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT CAN AFFECT YOUR VISION, IF YOU DRIVE ON THE ROAD TODAY, DO LAST MINUTE SHOPPING, TAKE THOSE TRIPS TO GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE, YOU NEED TO BE CAREFUL OUTSIDE BECAUSE THE ROADS ARE STILL SLIPPERY FROM THE EARLY MORNING RAIN. So that’s a look at what’s happening in live tracker three. I WILL SEND THINGS BACK TO YOU NOW WHILE YOU GO TO GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE, MAKE SURE YOU ARRIVE SAFELY. So take it easy on the road. Right, MELANIE? ABOVE ALL, YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO WINGO AND LIVE TRACKER, WHICH ARE THREE EASY TO IDENTIFY. THANK YOU, WINGO. Now that rain is falling in the valley, the Sierra is also preparing for a day of snowfall. Let’s get to KCRA 3. MARICELA DE LA CRUZ LIVES IN NYACK WITH A LIVE LOOK AT AN UPDATE AND WE NOW SEE THE SNOW FLYING. YES, IT WILL BE A WHITE CHRISTMAS EVE FOR THOSE WHO LIVE OUT HERE IN THE SIERRA AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE VISITING OUT HERE, WE ALREADY SEE THAT SNOW IS PACKING UP ON THE GROUND HERE ON INTERSTATE 80. WE’RE GOING EAST ALL TOMORROW. We saw this heavy rain, and now we see this light snow. YOU CAN ALREADY SEE THAT THERE. VERY, VERY LIGHT TRAFFIC AT THIS TIME. SO ALWAYS NOT MANY PEOPLE TRAVEL. But for those preparing to perhaps head east, remember that you need to be careful because, again, we are just beginning to see the accumulation of snow. We know that large rigs and large trucks are chain checked in the Applegate area. As this snow continues to fall, we are sure to see chain control throughout the day. We saw very little traffic throughout the morning. NO MAJOR ACCIDENTS ON THE ROAD, NOTHING SUCH IS REPORTED. And again, the only thing is that Applegate, the Applegate, is looking for chains for these big rigs in NEVADA County. I’m currently looking at the QUICK MAP APP from CALTRANS. There are snow plows in this area, but we don’t see any of that again out here, just a very quiet travel day. You know, as you head out, there will be little traffic again, no major incidents on the highway, and light snow for those who will be traveling in the Sierra today or tomorrow. RIGHT NOW WE ARE LIVE. MARICELA DE LA CRUZ KCRA THREE NEWS. IN ORDER. A WHITE WINTER CHRISTMAS EVENING IN PLACER COUNTY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MARICELA. Remember, you can track this latest weather system on your KCRA 3 app. THERE IS AN INTERACTIVE RADAR THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO SEE THE EXPECTED IMPACT ON YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. Be safe

Christmas Eve in the Sierra: Updates, road conditions along I-80, Highway 50

Updated: December 24, 2024, 9:29 am PST

Chain controls will be in effect along major roads in the Sierra as a significant amount of snow falls on Christmas Eve. The KCRA 3 weather team is issuing an Impact Day for Tuesday as rain and snow will impact travel and outdoor activities. Meteorologist Kelly Curran said snow levels in the Sierra will drop to elevations of about 5,000 feet. 15 to 20 cm of new snow is possible over the Donner Pass, and up to 30 cm of new snow is possible at the higher altitudes of the region’s ski areas. When chain controls are in effect, the speed limit on Interstate 80 is 30 miles per hour. It’s 25 miles per hour on Highway 50.| RELATED READING | Sierra chain installation and removal prices can be found below in live updates as they are updated. 8:05 a.m.: Chain controls apply here for both highways. 50 and I-80. I-80 Eastbound: Chains are required for all vehicles except four-wheel-drive vehicles with snow tires from Cisco Grove in Placer County to Truckee in Nevada County. Westbound: Chains required for all vehicles except 4x4s – Drive vehicles with snow tires from Truckee, Nevada County to 2.5 miles east of Highway 20 Junction.Hwy. 50Chains are required for all vehicles except four-wheel drive vehicles with snow tires from Twin Bridges to Meyers in both directions. REAL-TIME TRAFFIC MAP Click here to view our interactive traffic map. TRACK INTERACTIVE, DOPPLER RADARClick here to view our interactive radar. Download our app to get the latest. You can download our app here. Follow our KCRA weather team on social media, Meteorologist Tamara Berg on Facebook and X. Meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn on Facebook Meteorologist/Climate Reporter Heather Waldman on Facebook and X. Meteorologist Kelly Curran on X. Watch our forecasts on TV or online. Find our latest video predictions here. You can also watch a live stream of our latest newscast here. The banner on our website turns red when we are live. We also stream via the Very Local app for Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV. For more coverage of top California stories, click here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter

SACRAMENTO, Calif. –

Chain controls will be in effect on major roads in the Sierra due to a significant amount of snowfall on Christmas Eve.

The KCRA 3 weather team is issuing an Impact Day for Tuesday as rain and snow will impact travel and outdoor activities.

Meteorologist Kelly Curran said snow levels in the Sierra will drop to about 5,000 feet. 15 to 20 cm of new snow is possible over the Donner Pass, and up to 30 cm of new snow is possible at the higher altitudes of the region’s ski areas.

When chain controls are in effect, the speed limit on Interstate 80 is 30 miles per hour. On Highway 50 it’s 25 miles per hour.

| RELATED READING | The price of installing and removing chains in the Sierra

Below you will find live updates on the development.

8:05 a.m.: Chain controls apply here on both highways. 50 and I-80.

I-80

Eastbound: Chains are required for all vehicles except four-wheel drive vehicles with snow tires from Cisco Grove in Placer County to Truckee in Nevada County.

Westbound: From Truckee, Nevada County to 2.5 miles east of Highway 20, chains are required for all vehicles except four-wheel drive vehicles with snow tires.

Hwy. 50

Chains are required for all vehicles except four-wheel drive vehicles with snow tires from Twin Bridges to Meyers in both directions.

REAL-TIME TRAFFIC MAP
Click here to view our interactive traffic map.
INTERACTIVE TRACK DOPPLER RADAR
Click here to view our interactive radar.
DOWNLOAD OUR APP FOR THE LATEST
You can download our app here.
Follow our KCRA weather team on social media

• Meteorologist Tamara Berg continued Facebook And X.
• Meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn continued Facebook
• Meteorologist/climate reporter Heather Waldman on Facebook And X.
• Meteorologist Kelly Curran continued X.

Watch our forecasts on TV or online
Here is You can find our latest video forecast here. You can do that too Watch a live stream of our latest newscast here. The banner on our website turns red when we are online.

We also stream in the Very Local app for Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV.

For more coverage of California’s top stories, click here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter