Tornado warning issued for Sierra foothills

The National Weather Service in Sacramento has issued a tornado warning for northwestern El Dorado County, Nevada County and Placer County until 7:15pm Monday.

At 6:26pm the Weather Service Doppler radar indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado near Auburn moving northeast at 25 mph.

Other locations in the warning include but are not limited to Cool, Lake of the Pines, Applegate, Alta Sierra, Colfax, Grass Valley, Weimar and Foresthill.

When a tornado warning is issued based on Doppler radar it means that strong rotation has been detected in the storm. A tornado may already be on the ground or is expected to develop shortly. If you are in the path of this dangerous storm, move indoors and to the lowest level of the building. Stay away from windows. If driving, do not seek shelter under a highway overpass. The safest place to be during a tornado is in a basement. Get under a workbench or other piece of sturdy furniture. If no basement is available, seek shelter on the lowest floor of the building in an interior hallway or room such as a closet. Use blankets or pillows to cover your body and always stay away from windows.