Reluctant to let go of summer? Savor the day. After today, it will be awhile before Sacramento Valley residents see temperatures above 80 degrees.
The good news is, fall's first big storm - expected to arrive late Monday - may not pack quite the wallop forecasters previously predicted.
"We'll have pretty nice temperatures and weather this weekend, with clear skies and a few high clouds," said Felix Garcia, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento.
Highs today will be in the low 80s, dropping to the upper 70s Sunday, he said. Overnight lows in the valley will be in the low 50s.
The Monday storm will continue until about noon Wednesday. Most of the rainfall likely will occur Tuesday, Garcia said.
As the storm gets closer, rainfall forecasts are being revised. "We're now backing off little bit," he said.
A total of 2 inches of rain now is expected in the valley, and 3 inches to 5 inches in the foothills and mountains. Snow levels will remain fairly high.
"But since it is the first storm, it will be significant. We still want to emphasize that," Garcia said.
Because the ground is dry, it will take a while to absorb the water, creating the potential for localized flooding, particularly in fire-damaged areas, he said.
Rain also will be accompanied by winds of 40 mph to 50 mph in the Sierra, with gusts of up to 60 mph.
Highs in the valley will be in the low to mid 70s during the storm, but will drop to the mid 60s as the storm clears, Garcia said.
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