Thunderstorms could hit the Sacramento area, with heavy snow also falling on the Sierra

A storm system sweeping across Northern California on Sunday will bring showers and potential thunderstorms to the Sacramento region through the night, as well as more heavy snow in the Sierra.

But come Monday, the storm clouds are expected to part, leading to clear skies and sunshine that will continue for most of the coming week.

“After those storms dissipate this evening, we are expecting dry weather through the week,” said Hannah Chandler-Cooley, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Sacramento. “There could be some patchy fog in the morning hours (on Monday) but otherwise, mostly clear skies.”

Scattered showers arrived over the Valley early Sunday, with reports of small hail falling around Elk Grove and Calaveras County to the south.

Up to 10 inches of snow was dumped on the northern Sierra overnight, with another foot of powder expected before the end of the day.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for the northern Sierra Nevada through 10 p.m. Sunday. The Sierra Avalanche Center in Truckee issued a backcountry avalanche warning for the central Sierra Nevada range, including the greater Lake Tahoe Area, until 7 a.m. Monday.

Chain controls were in place Sunday afternoon for all major routes to Tahoe, including Interstate 80, U.S. Route 50 and California State Route 88.

“We’re encouraging folks to avoid traveling over the Sierra today,” Chandler-Cooley said. “The conditions are still looking pretty hazardous and they’re not likely to change anytime soon.”