North Coast recovering from powerful storm

Snow and rainfall already was tapering off around Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties on Friday morning after leaving fresh snow atop high peaks and upper elevations in northerly areas during the predawn hours, the National Weather Service said.

But snow expected around the North Bay at elevations as low as 500 feet failed to materialize, because the cold air mass moved in later than expected, the National Weather Service said.

There was still a chance of snow flurries at low elevations later in the day, however, though no real accumulation was expected to result, meteorologist Bob Benjamin said.

A cold front moved through the area just after sun-up, with lots of cold air filling in behind it that was expected to drop temperatures very low by Friday night, Benjamin said.

A freeze warning was issued for much of Northern California with forecast temperatures in the mid- and upper 20s in the North Bay.

But cold air carries little moisture, so whatever "hit and miss" rain showers and snow flurries occurred during the day would likely be brief and spare, Benjamin said.

Snow was most likely above 1,000 feet, "but you could get reports of isolated snow and brief periods of showers down to near sea level, but it's not going to stick, per se," he said.

In Ukiah, elevation 639, however, residents awoke to about half an inch of snow in some places, mixed snow and rain in others.

In Willits, elevation, 1,391, there were 1-to-2 inches in the valley, according to reports from forecasters, fire personnel and the CHP said.

At Cal Fire's Howard Station Road outside Willits, 4-to-5 inches had accumulated, prompting chain restrictions on the Highway 101/Willits Grade and stranding several motorists who spun out in the snow and sought refuge at the fire house while waiting for delayed tow trucks, Capt. Daniel Zumkeller.

Chains or snow tires were required on Highway 101 from Highway 20 north through Mendocino County, as well as on Highway 175 at the Hopland Grade, Caltrans said.

Authorities by 9:30 a.m. had lifted early morning chain restrictions on Highway 29 half way around Clearlake from Highway 20 in Upper Lake to Lower Lake.

Chains or snow tires were still required on a length of Highway 175 in Cobb, where 3-to-10 inches of fresh snow were reported, the CHP and Caltrans said.

"It's not that bad yet, but it's coming down pretty good," Dirk Widman, a fire engineer/paramedic said from the Cal Fire/South Lake County Fire Station in Cobb early Friday.

But Highway 29 - one of the biggest problem spots during a powerful storm last week - remained open, CHP officers said.

In west Sonoma County, surface flooding up to 1 1/2 feet deep closed Valley Ford Road just east of Highway 1 near the Sonoma Coast, the CHP and Sonoma County Roads personnel said.

One lane of Valley Ford-Freestone Road was closed due to flooding, as well.

There was another 5 inches of water on Valley Ford Road just west of Bloomfield Road, but it was said to be passable, the CHP said.

More than 8,000 customers in the Sonoma Valley area were without power after a 6:54 a.m. crash on Arnold Drive at Leveroni Road near Sonoma and El Verano in which a Chevrolet Suburban struck at power pole, officials said. All but six customers have had their power restored.

The utility pole and power lines fell across the roadway, causing closure of the intersection, the CHP said.

There were early reports that someone had to be cut from the wreckage of the Chevrolet Suburban that hit the power pole.

A mudslide on Calistoga Road at Chalfant Drive also was closing the southbound lane of Calistoga Road, emergency officials said.

Thousands of school children around Lake County were instructed to stay home for the day because of dangerous road conditions, Lake County schools Emergency Coordinator Rob Young said.

School affected included all of those in the Kelseyville, Lakeport, Lucerne and Konocti Unified school districts; Upper Lake elementary, middle and high schools; Aspire and Clearlake Community schools; and Cobb Mountain Elementary School.

The Lake County Office of Education also was closed.