6 Inches Of Snow Falls In Cloverdale

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Six inches of snow fell overnight in northern Sonoma County, closing schools and roads Friday in the Cloverdale area.

Elsewhere in the North Bay, 9 inches fell in Calistoga and 8 inches in Angwin. In San Mateo County, about 6 inches fell in the Portola Valley area and 3 inches fell in the Orinda area of the East Bay.

It was the first sizable amount of snow in the Bay Area in more than a decade, according to the National Weather Service.

Weather service meteorologist Brooke Bingaman said the last notable day of snowfall in the Bay Area came in February 2011. That day saw more snow at lower elevations, while Friday's snow accumulated more at higher elevations, she said.

People on social media Friday posted many photos and videos of the Bay Area becoming a winter wonderland, but the region's roads were more of a horror show, with several highways having to shut down due to icy conditions and downed trees or power lines.

State Highway 128 in the Cloverdale area was shut down Friday morning because of snow, downed trees and wires, the California Highway Patrol said. All westbound and eastbound lanes of SR-128 were closed west of U.S. Highway 101.

Later Friday at 5:45 p.m., the CHP reported an emergency road closure and a severe traffic alert on westbound state Highway 128 at North Cloverdale Boulevard. All lanes were closed and motorists were advised to expect delays and to use alternate routes to avoid the area. There was no estimated time to reopen the roadway.

Classes were canceled Friday for all schools in the Cloverdale Unified School District due to winter weather in the area, Sonoma County school officials said.

The district was the only one in the county confirmed to be closed by the storm that brought snow, ice and high winds to the region.

Got photos of the snow in the North Bay? Send to maggie.fusek@patch.com for publication.

—Bay City News Service contributed to this report.