"Pick your poison," the early 2017 weather forecasts seem to say.
While parts of the region had been bracing for sub-freezing temperatures, the outlook has changed. Now the temps will remain more typical for the season, but snow dropped to valley floor level.
The National Weather Service issued winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings through Wednesday morning for parts of the region. Affected counties include Shasta, Siskiyou, Del Norte, and Humboldt in California and Coos, Curry, Douglas, Josephine, Jackson, Klamath and Lake Counties in Oregon.
Precipitation is generally moving in from the west, with accumulations moving from the coast to inland valleys. Wet snow fell on U.S. 101 in the Crescent City and Brookings areas Monday, more on U.S. 199 near the Collier Tunnel by the state line (see the picture). Fallen trees closed Oregon 46 between Cave Junction and Oregon Caves National Monument. Tuesday morning the Oregon Department of Transportation reported several delays of at least 20 minutes along Interstate 5 near mountain passes because of the hazardous weather and crashes.
The standard warnings went out: don't travel if you don't have to, and prepare well if you do.
Forecasts for later in the week show more precipitation, but warmer temperatures.
