Scattered showers forecast for the Bay Area; yet more snow ahead for the Sierra

Scattered showers are expected to repeatedly grace the Bay Area on Sunday as part of an expansive winter storm system bringing rain and snow to much of Northern California, including another healthy dumping of powder over the Sierra Nevada.

The showers on Sunday are expected to continue for the next several days as a slow-moving storm system churns over southern Oregon and moves toward Nevada, while intermittently spinning off storm fronts across Northern California and the Bay Area, said David King, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

“It is going to move very slowly throughout the course of the week, and that’s what’s going to keep us in this prevailing scattered shower activity,” King said.

The most potent of those storm fronts pummeled the Bay Area during the pre-dawn hours of Sunday morning, dropping heavy rain and hail while also producing hundreds of lightning strikes over parts of the region.

Did you see or hear it? Lightning and thunder overnight. Here's a summary over the last 12 hours. #cawx pic.twitter.com/AKNomMAZrt

— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) March 5, 2023

One-third to a half-inch of rain fell over much of the Bay Area early Sunday, while pea-sized hail was reported across portions of the Peninsula and the North Bay, including San Francisco and Mill Valley, King said. The weather service also recorded 292 lightning strikes during the 12-hour period that ended at 5 a.m. Sunday — most of them concentrated over San Francisco, the Marin Headlands. Many of them struck just off-shore over the Pacific Ocean.

Another round of snow flurries also were reported in the East Bay Hills. A light dusting of snow fell at an elevation of about 1,750 feet, King said. Another 1-2 inches of snow could fall on Bay Area peaks above 2,200 feet in elevation, he added.

To the east, at least a foot and a half of snow fell over the northern portion of the Sierra Nevada area late Saturday and early Sunday morning, said Johnnie Powell, a National Weather Service meteorologist. Bear Valley recorded about 16 inches of new snow overnight, while 17 inches of snow fell to the north in Quincy.

The snow continued to snarl traffic in the high country. Interstate 80 remained closed Sunday morning from Applegate to the California-Nevada state line.

I-80 remains closed from Applegate to CA/NV Stateline. Snow's still falling. Route still caked with ice. Snowplows working double time, but as you can see moments ago one was barely made a dent in the snow-covered roadway in Kingvale. https://t.co/oOJkXOQ4Qq has latest road info. pic.twitter.com/PNHDhxD5ZY

— Caltrans District 3 (@CaltransDist3) March 5, 2023

It adds to a bountiful snowpack that is nearly twice the state’s average for this time of year. As of Friday, the state’s snowpack sat at 190% of its average for this time of the year. Even though the northern Sierra has received slightly less snow this season, it still sat at 151% of its average for March 3, according to the California Department of Water Resources.

At least another foot of snow could fall over portions of the Sierra Nevada above 5,000 feet on Sunday, Powell said. Areas between 3,000 and 5,000 feet in elevation could receive another 6 inches of snow.

“This is copious amounts of snow,” said Johnnie Powell, a National Weather Service meteorologist.