Fierce winter storm hammers Northern California with rain, snow. What’s ahead?

Sacramento could get a brief break from wet wintry on weather on Wednesday as a fierce winter storm continues in Northern California.

Meanwhile, snow will continue to fall across the Sierra Nevada.

On Tuesday, a cold winter storm slammed the state, dropping more than an inch of rain in some parts of Sacramento and 15 inches of snow near Truckee.

The National Weather Service forecasts a lull in the rain Wednesday for the Sacramento area with heavy snowfall dropping to lower elevations in the mountains.

A wind advisory remained in effect for Sacramento, Marysville, Yuba City, Oroville, Chico, Redding and Red Bluff until 10 p.m. Thursday. Southerly winds of 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph are expected.

A winter storm warning was in effect across much of Northern California until 10 p.m. Thursday, the weather service said.

Heavy snow, whiteout conditions and car crashes closed highways over the Sierra Nevada overnight.

Search efforts continued Wednesday near Truckee in Nevada County, where one skier remained missing following an avalanche. Eight have been found dead and six have been rescued.

Here’s what to expect:

What’s the weather forecast for Sacramento Valley?

The weather service predicted a break in the rain Wednesday for Sacramento and the rest of the Sacramento Valley, with partly cloudy conditions until about 2 p.m.

The chance of rain could increase after that, and isolated thunderstorms are possible.

The rain will resume after about 1 a.m. thursday and continue through Thursday afternoon, the weather service said.

Partly sunny conditions are expected Friday.

Temperatures will reach a high of 48 degrees Wednesday, dropping to a low of 38 degrees overnight.

On Thursday, the Sacramento area can expect a high of 47 degrees and a low of 33 degrees.

Will Sierra Nevada get more snow?

In the Sierra Nevada, expect lingering snow showers Wednesday with up to 2 inches of additional snow along with wind gusts of up to 50 mph, the weather service said.

Snow levels are expected to drop to 1,500 to 2,500 feet Wednesday, and as low as 1,000 feet in places Thursday, the weather service said. Snow levels below 1,000 feet are expected in Shasta County.

Heavy snow is expected to resume Thursday, with up to 9 inches of new snow in the Lake Tahoe area.

Strong winds and snow may produce whiteout conditions.

What are road conditions?

Snow and dangerous conditions continued to foul traffic over the Sierra Nevada mountains.

The California Department of Transportation said Wednesday morning that eastbound Interstate 80 was expected to reopen around noon. Westbound I-80 is open to vehicle traffic, but was closed to trucks. Highway 50 was open in both directions.

This story was originally published February 18, 2026 at 7:28 AM with the headline "Fierce winter storm hammers Northern California with rain, snow. What’s ahead?."