The snow level dropped to below 3,000 feet Thursday. Grass Valley resident Steve Willer says it was a pleasant surprise waking up to see snow. 

"We got probably a total of 3" and there’s still snow on the lawns and a little bit on the trees."

The Lake Tahoe area got as much as 8" of snow. Meteorologist Kathy Hoxsie with the National Weather Service in Sacramento says we’re getting a healthy boost to the dismal snowpack. 

"Oh this is definitely welcomed weather both for the amount of precipitation that it’s bringing and certainly for the ski areas, adding to their snow depth." 

The moisture is coming from a deep low-pressure system off the coast that will keep dropping snow in the mountains and rain in the valleys. 

"For all of next week we have periods of rain, periods of sunshine."

Hoxsie says this is a particularly cold system, so even if you’re driving in the foothills, it’s a good idea to carry snow chains for your tires.