Northern California to be hit with series of winter storms, bringing rain and high winds

The North State will be hit with a series of winter storms this week that will bring rain to the valley and snow to higher elevations.

On Monday morning, trucks traveling north on Interstate 5 were being screened for chains at the Fawndale exit 10 miles north of Redding.

"Drivers must have maximum chains in their possession in order to proceed,” the California Department of Transportation said on its website.

Chains are required on vehicles on Highway 299 west of Redding on Buckhorn Summit.

On Highway 44, chains are required on single-axle drive vehicles towing trailers from Viola to 8 miles west of Old Station.

Chain restrictions are also in place between McCloud and the junction of Interstate 5 in Siskiyou County on Monday morning.

Expect a snowy and windy day at Mt. Shasta Ski Park, officials said. The top of Douglas chairlift had a base of about 4 feet of snow as of Monday morning.

This first round of winter storms will bring high winds.

The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory through early Tuesday morning. Winds are expected to gust to 40 mph in the northern Sacramento Valley.

Redding is expected to receive up to a half-inch of rain on Monday. Rain is forecast throughout the week for the valley, according to the National Weather Service.

Meanwhile, a winter storm warning has been issued in the higher elevations of Shasta and Siskiyou counties through Tuesday morning. The heaviest snow is forecast Monday afternoon through Monday evening, the National Weather Service said.

The city of Mount Shasta is expected to get 6 to 8 inches of snow.

Areas above 3,500 feet could get up to 2 feet of snow, the National Weather Service said.

Snow levels are expected to rise through the week as rain is forecast for Mount Shasta from Tuesday night through Thursday night, when snow levels will hover around 6,000 feet.

The California Department of Water Resources recorded about 20 inches of snow the past two days at Snow Mountain southwest of Burney. The state had recorded 65 inches of snow on the mountain since the beginning of December.

David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-225-8219. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.