Northern Sacramento Valley residents got a jarring jolt Tuesday evening when a severe thunderstorm warning lit up the region, with forecasters calling for large hail, damaging winds and frequent lightning. Radar picked up an intense cell cruising northeast across the valley, and meteorologists urged people in rural communities and along busy highway corridors to take shelter. Local officials cautioned that the storm could dent cars and knock down tree limbs in a matter of minutes.
The National Weather Service in Sacramento issued the warning for Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties, specifically flagging communities such as Corning, Vina and Los Molinos. The warning, in effect into the early evening, said storms could produce half-dollar-sized hail (about 1.25 inches)…..