Rain, Wind, Snow Batter Northern California

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A storm system has brought heavy rains and winds to Northern California, flooding roads and downing trees. And forecasters say more rain is on the way.

After several inches of rain in the foothills and a couple of feet of new snow in higher elevations of the Sierra on Wednesday, there will be more wet weather the rest of the week.

Light snow is possible Wednesday night through Thursday as snow levels increase above 6,000 feet in the northern
interior mountains and to 6,500 to 7,500 feet over the Sierra.

Another storm moves through Thursday night into early Friday with significant snow possible over the higher elevations of the Sierra and steady rain in the valley. A colder storm then quickly follows for later Friday into Saturday with snow levels lowering into the foothills Saturday morning. Several feet of additional new snow is possible over the higher terrain into the weekend.

The National Weather Service in Sacramento has issued a winter storm watch from Thursday afternoon through Saturday morning.

Despite the good dose of rain and snow, we're still well behind normal totals. But not everyone was embracing the wet weather Wednesday.

"We kidded ourselves into thinking it was over," driver Mark McNeil said. "If I wanted to live in Seattle, I'd live in Seattle."

The wet weather was being blamed for a bevy of accidents Wednesday morning, including a chain-reaction crash on Interstate 5 in Sacramento involving two big rigs and two cars.

CHP says slick roads contributed to the 3:30 a.m. crash on I-5 near Pocket Road. Three people were hurt including one person who is in critical condition.

Wet roads and high speeds for the conditions are also being blamed in a school bus accident on Jackson Highway near Rancho Murieta, according to officials.

"There was a vehicle that was stopped in front of him and he didn't see it, slammed on the breaks, lost control and rolled the vehicle," CHP Officer Joe Marsac said.

There were no children on the bus from Whispering Pines School in Plymouth when it flipped on its side at Dillard Road and Jackson Road just after 10 Wednesday morning.

The bus driver says a car cut in front of him causing him to swerve, according to CHP. The driver of the bus was not injured.

Interstate 80 was closed in both directions for more than an hour Wednesday morning due to a downed power line in the Rainbow area in Placer County, according to the Caltrans.

Caltrans says westbound traffic was being held at Truckee and eastbound was closed just east of Colfax.

The power line came down around 9:30 a.m. It was cleared just after 10:30 a.m.