Storm update

4 p.m.: The Plumas County Office of Emergency Services continues to monitor the storm that is expected to dump several inches of rain and bring high winds to the county. Sheriff Greg Hagwood said that thus far “things are relatively quiet.” There have been reports of a  homes flooding in Crescent Mills and one in the Sierra Valley. The rain is expected to continue overnight accompanied by high winds. Hagwood said that his staff as well as the California Highway Patrol will be patrolling the roads to look for trouble spots. Highway 70 remains closed from Jarbo Gap to the Greenville Wye.

The Plumas County Office of Emergency Services is providing an update on the upcoming storm, which increases its expected duration. A solid 18 to 24 hours of torrential rain with snow levels near 7,000 feet is expected. The storm will begin early Monday morning (overnight Sunday) and continue into Tuesday. Flash flooding is expected as well as additional rock and mud slides. This is being classified as a major winter storm.

Winds are predicted to be from 20 mph to 40 mph, with ridge top winds in excess of 130 mph. Precipitation amounts are forecast as follows: Chester, 3-4 inches; Quincy, 4-5 inches; Bucks Lake, 7-10 inches; and Portola, 3-4 inches; however, some weather service reports put the number as high as 8 inches possible in some areas.

At this point, the Middle Fork of the Feather River is not forecast to exceed 10.7 feet, which is about 2 feet above major flood stage. Highway 70 at Portola is expected to remain open, though travel may be impacted as in the last round of storms. It’s anticipated that Highway 89 at Clio will close once again. As for the remainder of the county, those areas that flooded in the last round of storms, should expect more flooding. It’s also anticipated that the high winds will result in downed trees and power outages.

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