LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A major winter storm descended across Lake County and the North Coast region on Tuesday, bringing heavy rain, snow and high winds, and leading to road closures and power outages.

The National Weather Service has an active winter storm warning in effect for Lake County through noon on Wednesday, along with a hazardous weather outlook due to the storm, which began to pick up during the afternoon and early evening on Tuesday.

Snow was reported in various parts of the county, from Clearlake to Clearlake Oaks, Cobb, Lakeport, Kelseyville and Upper Lake.

The California Highway Patrol reported numerous road hazards due to snow and stranded vehicles, downed trees and power lines on Tuesday.

Shortly after 4 p.m., the CHP said chains were necessary on Highway 175 over Cobb, from Socrates Mine Road to Red Hills Road.

Early in the evening, multiple vehicles were reported to be stuck in the snow on the Glasgow Grade near Lower Lake, with at least one vehicle struck in a ditch. A Caltrans snow plow was dispatched to the scene.

Just after 6:30 p.m., radio traffic reported that 40 to 50 vehicles on the grade remained at a standstill due to the snow.

About a half hour later, eight vehicles were reported to be stuck at Point Lakeview Road and Sunrise Drive near Lower Lake, with county roads staff working to respond.

Conditions had become so serious that just before 7 p.m. the Clearlake Police Department sent out a Nixle alert that said, “Due to the weather, please stay inside. If travel is necessary, please drive slowly and safely.”

Downed lines were reported just before 6:30 p.m. at 40th and Moss avenues in Clearlake and at Highway 175 and Adams Springs Road in Cobb shortly after 7:30 p.m.

A PG&E wind map at 8 p.m. showed high wind speeds around the county, including 41 mile per hour gusts near Nice and 31 miles per hour on Emerford Road in the Cobb area

Just before 9 p.m., the CHP reported that there were multiple vehicles stuck in the snow on both sides of the Lake and Mendocino County line along Highway 20 west of Witter Springs Road.

The Clearlake Police Department at 10:40 p.m. issued an alert asking that people avoid the area of 18th, 40th and Davis avenues due to hazardous conditions from the weather. “Some or all roads may be impassable,” the department said.

At 11:15 p.m., the police department reported a tree was down in the roadway at Old Highway 53 and Davis Avenue.

There also were reports on Tuesday of trees falling on several houses around the county.

The National Weather Service said winds with gusts of up to 45 miles per hour were expected to continue until about 12 a.m. Wednesday, and early Wednesday the wind map showed winds had dropped substantially from the peak speeds recorded on Tuesday night, with some areas in the single digits.

Conditions on Highway 29 between Lower Lake and Kelseyville, where dozens of vehicles had been reported stranded on Tuesday evening, led to a road closure that continued into early Wednesday.

At 2:15 a.m., the CHP said the roadway was closed from Highway 29 and 53 in Lower Lake to Highway 29 at Kit’s Corner in Kelseyville. There was no estimated time of reopening early Wednesday.

During the course of the night there were numerous reports of power outages around Lake County.

As of 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, nearly 2,800 PG&E customers combined were without power in Clearlake, Clearlake Oaks, Cobb, Kelseyville, Lakeport, Loch Lomond, Lower Lake and Upper Lake.

Weather stations in the National Weather Service’s network showed that Lower Lake and Middletown received more than an inch and a half of rain on Tuesday, while Upper Lake and parts of Cobb recorded more than 1.3 inches.

Heavy snow is expected through Wednesday morning in the area of 1,500 to 2,500 feet in elevation, based on the forecast.

Forecasters are predicting between 4 to 10 inches of snow in higher elevations and 2 to 3 inches of rain, particularly in southern Lake County.

Additional rain also is expected across Lake County from Wednesday through Monday, the National Weather Service said.

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.