Winter Weather Swooping In, So Get Prepared

Didn’t get up to Tahoe during the Ski Week break from school? That’s OK; maybe you can strap on the slats and ski Mount Burdell on Friday.

In fact, this weekend might have the look and feel of Tahoe right here in Novato. The city of Novato and county of Marin have issued warnings about severe weather on its way Thursday night and through the weekend. We're talking overnight lows in the 20s and snow that could stick around more than a few hours rather than melt right away.

According to the Marin County Department of Public Works, an approaching cold front will result in freezing temperatures and combine with a storm system to produce snow as low as 1,000 feet. The National Weather Service is forecasting several inches of snow over the next two days, so the hills on Novato’s south, west and north sides could be all white by morning. Mount Burdell (1,558 feet) to the north and Big Rock (1,887 feet) to the south are ringed by ridges that average about 1,000 feet.

Public works road crews will be out in force over the next two days all over Marin, county sources said. The California Highway Patrol and several other agencies have warned motorists to exercise extreme caution because of the possible presence of black ice.

Even in the rain Thursday, residents should take precautions to protect property — including sensitive plants and exposed pipes — from the below freezing cold that is expected overnight and the next few days. The county Department of Public Works said other possible impacts include downed power lines and power electricity outages.

The city of Novato sent out a list of storm safety tips from Pacific Gas and Electric Co. that included reminders about being stocked with batteries in case of a power outage and having a plan for alterative communication if land-line phone service goes down.

Making blocks of ice in your freezer now could come in handy if there is an outage and food is in danger of spoiling, PG&E said. Also, it’s best to unplug electrical appliances during an outage so that the system is not overloaded when it comes back on.

By Friday night, scattered precipitation could deliver snow at sea level in some spots — depending on when the really cold temperatures arrive.

“It has to be the right combination of factors, in just the right sequence,” said Jan Null, meteorologist with Golden Gate Weather Service. “First, you need the cold air, then the precipitation, not just cold rain.”

The last time just the right combination came together was Feb. 5, 1976, when a broad cold front brought snow all over the Bay Area. Before that, Jan. 15, 1962 brought less than an inch.

The heaviest precipitation arrives to the Bay Area on Thursday and is predicted to be over before very cold air arrives that would bring snow lower. The best guess is only a 50:50 chance, Null said, but you never know in the weather business.

For more weather information, check the National Weather Service website at www.nws.gov.

If you capture shots of the winter wonderland over the next few days, e-mail digital photos to brent.ainsworth@patch.com or upload them to this story.