Just frightful

Winter's early grip on the Mid-Valley is expected to continue this week as temperatures dip into the mid-20s, leading to cautionary advisories for homeowners and drivers alike.

The National Weather Service forecasted an overnight low of 25 degrees today, according to Steve Goldstein of the agency's Sacramento bureau.

Yuba, Sutter, Colusa and Butte counties were covered in the weather service's freeze warning for nearly the whole Central Valley, from Redding south to Bakersfield — including the majority of Interstate 5 and Highway 99 to Southern California.

In Colusa County, snowfall descended from high-elevation areas into the western towns along I-5, dropping up to an inch over Arbuckle and Williams and north to Glenn County, Goldstein said. The weather service announced an advisory for the area because of slick road conditions and poor visibility.

Caltrans has prepared plows to clear and sand major Colusa County routes, but a California Highway Patrol officer in Williams urged travelers to keep their speeds down even on flat, normally higher-speed routes.

"Just because the speed limit is 70 doesn't mean you to have to go 70," said CHP Sgt. Patrick Landreth.

Even in the absence of travel advisories, Landreth called on drivers to carry tire chains this week for trips toward the Coast Range or Sierra Nevada foothills.

The Colusa snows followed Monday snowfall that lowered the Mid-Valley's snow line to 500 feet, covering much of the Yuba County foothills in white.

The beginning of the cold snap Monday night led Yuba County and the Olivehurst Public Utility District to issue their own cold-weather advisories, mainly to urge homeowners to insulate water pipes to prevent them from bursting.

But many residents already were taking the initiative, according to the manager of a Yuba City home supply shop who reported dwindling supplies of pipe-wrap materials for in-home and irrigation lines.

"They're pretty savvy about it, being farmers," said Mike Bozarth of Orchard Supply Hardware. "They know what to do."

Dry conditions Wednesday are expected to give way Thursday morning to another round of rain and snow, which the weather service says could last into early Friday. The weather service predicts snowfall at altitudes above 1,000 feet.

Daytime temperatures are forecast to reach the mid-40s through Friday, with lows dropping at or below freezing — as low as 25 degrees late Friday night.

Contact Appeal-Democrat re-porter Howard Yune at 749-4708 or hyune@appealdemocrat.com.