Sacramento sets record for driest start to new year
The start of 2015 is the driest start of a calendar year in Sacramento since weather experts started keeping record books.
The trend continues Wednesday with a high of 72 degrees forecast under sunny skies.
The National Weather Service notes that Sacramento got just 2.45 inches of rain from Jan. 1 through March 31. That broke the former record for the same three months, a mark set in 1976 when just 2.47 inches was recorded.
Historically, Sacramento averages 10.68 inches for those three months. January, February and March are normally three of the wettest months of the year.
Sacramento was not the only city where the three-month record was set. Redding, Stockton and Modesto also had record sets for the driest start to the calendar year.
The top five driest starts the calendar year for Sacramento:
2015: 2.45 inches
1976: 2.47 inches
1972: 2.59 inches
1885: 2.73 inches
1923: 2.78 inches
The detailed, seven-day forecast from the NWS for the Sacramento region:
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 72. Northwest wind 9 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Wednesday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46. Northwest wind 6 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 74. North-northwest wind 13 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.
Thursday night: Clear, with a low around 42. North-northwest wind 11 to 16 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 77. Light and variable wind.
Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 45.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 74.
Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44.
Sunday: A slight chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 67.
Sunday night: A slight chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45.
Monday: A slight chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 69.
Monday night: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45.
Tuesday: A slight chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 69.
Call The Bee’s Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
This story was originally published April 1, 2015 at 7:03 AM with the headline "Sacramento sets record for driest start to new year."