LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The stormy Saturday weather led to falling trees, road closures and rising water levels, with more rain beginning overnight and forecast to continue through Sunday.
All of Lake County is under a flood watch that remains in effect through 4 p.m. Wednesday, with the National Weather Service continuing to forecast a week of rain ahead.
Sunday is forecast to have especially heavy rain, with total rainfall expected to be up to 2 inches and wind gusts of more than 30 miles per hour.
For the 24-hour period ending at 2:30 a.m. Sunday, the National Weather Service reported the following rainfall totals, in inches, at observation stations around Lake County:
– Bear Canyon (Middletown): 3.30.
– Cache Creek (near Lower Lake): 1.61.
– Cobb: 1.73.
– High Glade Lookout (above Upper Lake): 1.77.
– Indian Valley Reservoir: 0.66.
– Jerusalem Grade (Middletown): 2.48.
– Kelseyville: 1.28.
– Mt. Konocti: 1.44.
– Putah Creek (Middletown): 2.28.
– Upper Lake – 1.0.
The wet conditions led to the Lake County Public Works Department closing Elk Mountain Road at mile post marker 29.6 to all traffic due to the road washing out. The agency did not have an estimate as to when the road will reopen.
The rain and winds on Saturday also were responsible for causing a tree to fall on Laurel Dell in Upper Lake, grazing a nearby house and falling a car just before 3 a.m. Saturday, according to radio reports. No one was injured.
At around 6 a.m., two trees were reported to have fallen on a home and on vehicles on Oak Drive in Kelseyville.
Clear Lake's level continued to rise, hitting 4.16 feet Rumsey early Sunday, up from 3.91 feet Rumsey on Friday morning.
In other weather-related news, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said Lake Pillsbury has reached its spill crest and water is running over the spillway. During winter, spill gates remain open for flood control. In the spring, the spill gates will be closed, allowing the reservoir to fill an additional 10 feet.
Lake Pillsbury's dam spillway empties back into the Eel River, and the company cautioned anyone going near the Upper Eel River to be aware of higher and changing flows with the coming rains. PG&E said the rain could cause flows on the river to increase several fold and will be well above the normal seasonal flows for this time of year.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Heavy rain, winds forecast for Sunday; Saturday storm caused downed trees, road issues
- Elizabeth Larson
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