Rain and thunder coming to Northern California. Will storms hit Sacramento this weekend?
Northern California will get a taste of hoodie season this weekend, though it may be short-lived.
Rain, isolated thunderstorms and cooler temperatures are forecast to move into the northern portion of the Sacramento Valley as well as the Sierra Nevada starting Friday afternoon. The heaviest rain will hit the areas surrounding Redding on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
Chico and Yosemite are forecast to receive the most rain, between half-inch and an inch of rain. Redding, Susanville, Grass Valley, South Lake Tahoe and Sonora will see anywhere from a quarter-inch to half-inch of rainfall.
NWS meteorologist Kate Forrest said isolated thunderstorms will also hit those areas, depending on when the rain falls on Friday.
Sacramento, Modesto and Stockton are on track to receive between a one-tenth of an inch and a quarter-inch of precipitation. Similar chances are forecast in other areas of Sacramento County such as Elk Grove and Citrus Heights.
Meteorologists are warning drivers of slick roads and minor puddles, according to a Thursday post from NWS on X, formally known as Twitter.
Weather in Sacramento
Temperatures could also dip a few degrees.
Forrest said she attributes a “strong anomalous low” — or wind direction — to both the rain and colder weather moving into Northern California. She said the system is dropping down from the Pacific Northwest and dragging further south than normal.
But don’t worry if you’re one of the 3,500 runners expected to take your mark at Urban Cow’s 5k or half marathon on Sunday in Land Park. The weather is forecast to be ideal.
Weather in the capital region is forecast to gradually become cloudy with a high of 80 degrees and a low of 58 on Friday, according to the weather service.
Wind speeds are predicted to range between 5 and 13 mph between Thursday and Saturday. If it rains, there’s a 20% chance of precipitation on Friday night with gusts as high as 20 mph and a 40% chance of showers on Saturday.
The temperature high on Saturday is forecast to be 69 degrees and the low is 57.
On Sunday, temperatures are expected to warm up to 74 degrees and drop to 54 degrees by nightfall.