Heavy snow on the Paradise Ridge today brought daily life to a crawl, forcing the Paradise Unified School District to close its campuses and tangling the morning commute across the Ridge. Plow crews worked Skyway and other local routes while authorities urged drivers to stay off the roads unless they had four‑wheel drive or chains.
The closures and travel advisories were highlighted in local coverage, as Action News Now reported plows and road teams fanning out across the area. Reporters noted that nearby Chico sat at a relatively mild 44 degrees by midmorning, a reminder that a few hundred feet of elevation can turn valley rain into Ridge snow.
Freeze warning and what to expect
The National Weather Service issued a freeze warning for much of the Sacramento Valley into Friday morning, calling for sub‑freezing lows between about 20 and 32 degrees. The advisory warns of frost, hypothermia and damage to sensitive plants, and it urges people to take precautions for themselves and their animals, according to NWS Sacramento.
Roads and winter driving guidance
State and local crews are asking drivers to check chain controls and current road conditions before heading up the Ridge and to give snowplows plenty of room to work. The state’s winter‑driving guidance emphasizes carrying chains, slowing down on wet pavement and never passing a plow; full safety tips are available from Caltrans.
Why Paradise saw snow while the valley stayed mild
Paradise sits at roughly 1,700 feet above the valley floor, a bit of altitude that often means the town wakes up to snow while lower‑lying Chico lingers in the 40s, according to local climate figures from Wikipedia. The same storm system triggered multiple Sierra school shutdowns and travel advisories farther east, a sign that higher terrain is taking the brunt of this round of winter weather, as reported by KCRA.
Officials said they will keep monitoring conditions and update school closures and travel advisories through the day, so drivers are urged to check official channels before heading for higher elevations. With temperatures expected to drop overnight, residents were also asked to prepare for icy patches and to avoid leaving vehicles on narrow streets so plows can get through.
