Heavy Rain and Snow Shut Down Roads Across Bay Area and Sierra Nevada

The major storm system passing through Northern California after weeks of dry weather shut down roads across the Bay Area and in the Sierra Nevada on Tuesday morning.

As the area braces for more steady rainfall throughout the day, highways in the East Bay and North Bay were flooded in parts, and access to Lake Tahoe was cut off due to inches of rain and snow collected since Monday.

The weather suspended Golden Gate Ferry operations to Angel Island, and travel to Tiburon has been rerouted via bus. Trips from San Francisco to Sausalito were suspended until 12:10 p.m. After that, early afternoon travel will be via bus.

In Oakland, Interstate 880 northbound was backed up as the offramp on Broadway flooded, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s 511 website. Interstate 580 was also affected by flooding: in the eastbound direction, the right lane and shoulder were closed due to flooding near Grand Avenue, and westbound, the right lane was closed east of 35th Avenue.

• • Jump straight to: Tips for safe driving in the rain and snow

The city has gotten more than an inch and a half of rain in the last 48 hours, according to the National Weather Service.

Farther northeast in Solano County, where there’s also been more than an inch of rainfall since midday Sunday, flooding affected lanes of Highway 38 headed east in Vallejo and Interstate 80 westbound in Fairfield.

In Sonoma County, where back-to-back storms in December and early January brought significant flooding, Green Valley Road in Sebastopol was shut down on Tuesday due to flood conditions. In a livestream operated by the county to show flooding conditions, water was streaming over the roadway near Sullivan Road and pooling heavily on Tuesday afternoon.

“The section between Thomas Road and Sullivan Road is currently closed due to flooding from the recent storm,” county spokesperson Diana Callaway said via email. She said the roadway would reopen when water levels receded, but did not give a time estimate.

“Motorists are advised to use alternate routes and avoid driving through flooded areas due to potential debris and water-related hazards,” she said.

Parts of the county have collected more than 2 inches of rain since Sunday, the NWS reported, and county officials urged residents to limit unnecessary travel and turn around if they come across flooded roadways.

In Monterey County, a nearly 7-mile stretch of Highway 1 was closed as crews cleared mud and debris from the roadway after a slide late Monday evening. The Regent’s Slide area in Big Sur — where there were major mudslides in 2023 and 2024 — just reopened in January after three years of damage repairs.

“Crews continue to clear mud from the roadway at Regent’s Slide,” Caltrans said in a post on the social media platform X.

As for the mountains, UC Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Lab said it best: “It. Is. Dumping,” the lab posted on X on Tuesday.

Reaching the Sierra won’t be easy — or advised — after Interstate 80 shut down from Colfax in Placer County to the Nevada state line due to snowfall. The Sierra Snow Lab, which is located near Donner Summit, about 50 miles east of Colfax along I-80, reported 28 inches of snow overnight Monday, and predicted another 2-3 feet by Wednesday night.

“Anecdotally, the combination of low visibility, intense snowfall, and high winds have created the worst conditions since Feb 2023,” the Berkeley lab said via social media.

Highway 50 to South Lake Tahoe was also closed in El Dorado County, from Pointview Drive in Placerville to Meyers, due to multiple spinouts, and Highway 89 in El Dorado County was closed at Emerald Bay State Park in South Lake.

The National Weather Service said that travel throughout the Sierra is “highly discouraged” throughout the day and into the night, as periods of whiteout conditions are likely.

Across Northern California, more rain and snow are expected throughout the day, and scattered showers could continue into the rest of the week.

In the Sierra, the National Weather Service is forecasting up to 8 feet of snow on peaks above 3,500 feet, while 1-2 feet could accumulate at lower elevations. Some snowfall is predicted at elevations as low as 1,000 feet in the Sierra and Shasta County.

Driving safely in rain and strong winds

During storms like this, officials typically urge residents to limit unnecessary travel and stay home if at all possible during weather events like these, citing the potential dangers presented by downed trees and power lines in addition to flooding.

How should I change my driving style during rain and winds?

If you must drive, do it much more slowly and cautiously than usual, while:

• Using your headlights
• Turning off cruise control
• Maintaining a firm grip on the steering wheel
• Leaving twice as much space between your vehicle and the one in front of it (wet roads might mean it takes longer to stop)
• Staying alert for debris on the road.

What do I do if my car begins to hydroplane on a wet road?

• First off, remain calm — and don’t slam on the brakes
• Ease off the gas
• Steer in the direction you want to go …
• … and very lightly pump the brakes until you regain traction.

What if I approach a flooded road?

Always turn around rather than driving through a flooded area — as little as 6 inches of water is enough to disable or stall a small car, while 12 inches can sweep away a vehicle. Don’t assume you know the depth of a pool of water or the conditions of the road underneath it, especially at night.

If floodwaters begin to rise around your car, abandon the car and move to higher ground on foot. According to the California Department of Water Resources, more people become trapped and die in their vehicles than anywhere else during a flood.

Driving safely in snowy conditions

Be sure to take weather warnings for the Sierra Nevada seriously, as winter storms can sometimes make travel virtually impossible — and genuinely dangerous. Read more on how to check the weather forecast and travel warnings.

If you must drive in these conditions:

Carry chains

In addition to making sure your vehicle’s in good working order (including brakes, wipers and heater), you’ll need to carry chains, which are fitted onto the tires of a vehicle’s drive wheels to offer more traction on snowy and icy roads. Read more about when chain control is declared in the Tahoe region and how to fit chains onto your car.

Fuel up

Make sure you also have as much fuel as possible at all times, as you could be delayed or even held on the road, which will burn up the fuel in your tank. Gaining elevation as you ascend into the mountains will also use more gas.

Use Caltrans’ QuickMap 

Caltrans’ QuickMap app (available on the App Store and Google Play), and also in web form, will show you the latest road conditions and travel information, including chain controls, snowplows on the roads and closures.

Pack for getting stuck

Make sure your vehicles contains emergency items including:

• Food and water
• Warm blankets
• Extra clothing
• A shovel, in case you need to dig your vehicle out of snow
• An ice scraper.

Take it slow

You’ll see the words “Ice and snow, take it slow” on road signs in Tahoe, and you should heed the advice — especially in areas with chain control, which is in effect for a reason.

Leave far more braking distance between you and the car ahead than you normally would. If cars behind you are clearly trying to go much faster than you, pull over when it’s safe to do so, and let them pass. Read Caltrans’ list of winter driving tips.

Know how to correct a skid

There are many video tutorials online demonstrating how to control and correct a skid. It’s a good idea to watch a few of them so you can see what the advice for correcting a skid — take your feet off the pedals and turn into the direction you want to go — looks like in action.

Be aware of the ice risk especially posed by roads that are shaded by the sun — and also on bridges, which freeze faster than the road before and after them owing to the air underneath.

This story contains reporting by KQED’s Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí and Emma Silvers.