Mount Shasta, CA – Drivers heading over Siskiyou County’s highest passes have hours to prepare as up to 15 inches of snow and 60 mph wind gusts threaten to shut down travel above 4,500 feet starting Saturday evening.
According to the National Weather Service in Medford, a Winter Storm Watch remains in effect from Saturday evening through late Sunday night for western, south central, north central and southeast Siskiyou County at elevations above 4,500 feet. Forecasters say 10 to 15 inches of snow could accumulate, with the strongest winds focused on exposed ridgelines and summits.
The greatest impacts are expected along Highway 89 at Snowmans Summit and Dead Horse Summit, both near 4,500 feet, as well as the Mt. Shasta Ski Park Highway around 5,500 feet. Blowing snow may sharply reduce visibility and create drifting across mountain roads, making travel very difficult to impossible at times.
Strong wind gusts could also snap tree limbs and lead to isolated power outages in higher terrain communities such as Tennant and Bray.
Travelers should avoid non-essential trips across mountain passes this weekend, carry tire chains and emergency supplies, and check Caltrans road conditions before departure. Additional advisories or warnings may be issued as snowfall rates become clearer heading into Saturday night.
