Sacramento Easter egg hunters were scrambling out to soggy parks and backyards between storms Sunday morning.

Anywhere from a quarter-inch to 1.25 inches of rain fell in Saturday night's wet and wild thunderstorm, which put on lightning displays in the region from 11 p.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Sunday, said Stefanie Henry, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

In downtown Sacramento, rainfall measured .85 inches, she said.

There's an 80-percent chance of scattered showers this afternoon, with possible hail and more thunder and lightning, Henry said.

That puts those celebrating Easter with the traditional egg hunt in a time crunch.

Doris Sanui, an employee at Fairytale Town in Sacramento, said the park was open today Sunday morning, and a "handful" of people were racing to find eggs at the Spring Eggstravaganza. She said the park is receiving plenty of phone calls from interested visitors.

"We're open now, and the grounds are wet," Sanui said. "We advise people to wear rain gear, but we plan to stay open until there's a big downpour."

The good news for egg hunters is that the sun was peeking through clouds Sunday morning, and the temperature was expected to climb to 69 degrees.

Saturday's storm brought "abundant lightning" and some reports of hail, with half-inch sized hail falling in the Jackson area, in Grizzly Flat in El Dorado County and near Cook's Station in Amador County, Henry said.

No damage was reported from lightning or hail, she said.

Snowfall from the storm in the Sierra Nevada mountains was anywhere from 2 to 5 inches, mainly on the peaks, Henry said. Snow accumulation on the roads was minimal, she said.

Forecasters expect continued instability in a series of storm systems that could move through the valley in the next few days.

"We're advising people to be cautious in thunderstorms," Henry said. "You shouldn't go outside if you hear thunder, and drive carefully on wet roads. We're seeing some ponds of water on roads, because high amounts of rain fell in a short period of time."

Rain showers are expected to move out overnight, and the next chance of rainfall will be Wednesday afternoon, continuing through the weekend.

"There are few waves that are going to track behind this latest storm," Henry said.

The 7-day forecast is as follows:

Sunday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce small hail. High near 69. South wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Sunday night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 11 p.m., then a chance of showers. Some of the storms could produce small hail. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 71.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 76.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78.

Thursday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68.

Thursday night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52.

Friday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 73.

Friday night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50.

Saturday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 70.

Call The Bee's Anne Gonzales, (916) 321-1049. Follow her in Twitter @AnneGonzo .

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