MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES–Check below for road conditions including traffic collisions, closures and hazards, school closures, power outages and other emergencies as they happen. We will continue to update this article throughout the storm – stay safe!   There is a power outage affecting approximately 2200 people in Mariposa County from Ponderosa Basin to Bootjack to the Lushmeadows area. Estimated time of ...

HANFORD–The National Weather Service Hanford Office is predicting that after a brief break from precipitation today, periods of rain and mountain snow will return to central California into early next week. The heaviest rain and snow will occur over the weekend. Here is a map showing yesterday’s storm precipitation totals. Most areas of the San Joaquin Valley saw three-quarters of ...

EL PORTAL–Officials for Yosemite National Park are reporting that a significant rockfall occurred at approximately 9:00 am this morning on the El Portal Road (continuation of Highway 140 inside Yosemite National Park). This has closed the road from the park boundary in El Portal to the intersection of the Big Oak Flat Road. There is no access to Yosemite Valley ...

HANFORD–The National Weather Service Hanford Office has issued a Flood  Watch for the Mariposa Madera Foothills, Mariposa, Madera, and the Lower Sierra Yosemite Valley. This includes the cities of Coarsegold, Mariposa, Yosemite Valley, Oakhurst, Fish Camp, Bass Lake, North Fork, and El Portal. The Flood Watch is in effect from 4:00AM PST, Tuesday, December 27, 2022 through Tuesday evening. WHAT: ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES—The National Weather Service Hanford Office predicts a series of storm systems will impact Central California from the middle of the week into the upcoming holiday weekend, producing periodic precipitation. The strongest in this series of storm systems is expected to occur Friday night and Saturday as another atmospheric river could move over Central California. Starting Monday A trough ...

STOCKTON—The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) wants to remind motorists to be prepared for heavy winter storms in the valley, foothills, and mountains beginning today into this weekend. According to the National Weather Service, moderate snow is forecast above 3,500 feet today (December 8) into early Friday. A stronger system is expected to bring Valley rain, heavy mountain snow, and ...

GATEWAY COMMUNITIES — Get ready for a big weather change again this weekend. For much of this week, we’ve been experiencing dry, cold, and foggy conditions, but that’s about to change. A very strong storm system is expected to impact Central California and The Sierra Nevada Saturday and Sunday. As always, Sierra News Online will be here monitoring and reporting ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES–Blue skies, crisp air and snow capped mountains greeted many of us this morning after a winter storm made it’s way through our communities overnight. Now, The National Weather Service Hanford Office says we can expect even more rain and snow over the weekend. So, if you’re taking the family to enjoy the holiday activities we wrote about earlier ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES–Every year I hear the same questions about chain controls in our communities. Do I have to carry chains? What do R1, R2, and R3 mean? My vehicle is four-wheel drive, do I still need chains? Keep reading for the answers to these questions and more. During the winter months, motorists may encounter traction chain controls in the mountain ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES–Now that we’ve had a taste of rain and cooler weather we know that winter is on the way. For our communities this can mean flooded roads, power outages, downed trees, and other emergencies. Continue reading the rest of this article for tips on ways to keep you and your family safe this winter. As always, Sierra News Online ...