Thunderstorms forecast for Northern California. What does that mean for Park Fire?
Thunder could rumble over parts of Northern California this weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
Isolated thunderstorms are expected to hit the Sierra Nevada crest on Friday and Saturday “due to a push of monsoonal moisture, the agency said in a Thursday post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
There’s a 10% to 30% chance of storms, the weather service said, with the “highest chances” occurring south of Interstate 80, the post said.
“It will mainly be confined to the mountains over the next 24 to 36 hours,“ said Courtney Carpenter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Some areas of the Sacramento Valley will see light rain, the weather service said.
What does ‘isolated thunderstorms’ mean?
When moisture begins to move northward, Carpenter said this can potentially cause small thunderstorms.
“It won’t be anything widespread,” Carpenter said.
While isolated thunderstorms are solely forecast for higher elevations across the northern Sierra, some clouds and light showers are expected at lower elevations, the weather agency said on X.
What does this mean for Park Fire and other wildfires?
“We’re not expecting any thunderstorms over the Park Fire at this time,” Carpenter said Friday morning.
For higher elevations in the Sierra, Carpenter said any lightning strike can potentially start a fire.
As of Friday morning, the Park Fire had burned a total of 397,629 acres in Butte, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama counties, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The wildfire near Chico was 24% contained.
“Critical weather is expected in the region through the weekend,” Cal Fire said on its Park Fire incident page, with high temperatures forecast to reach 98 to 103 degrees on Friday. “Expected higher temperatures, lower humidity and strong winds could lead to extreme fire behavior and cause the fire to grow in multiple directions.”
Cal Fire said thunderstorms in the region could “cause fire behavior to become erratic.”
Are thunderstorms common this time of year?
“They’re not super frequent, but we can get them when monsoon moisture comes up north from the desert,” Carpenter said.
What should I do if I’m caught in a thunderstorm?
When you are caught in a thunderstorm, here are some tips from the weather agency if a safe location is not nearby:
- Avoid beach picnic shelters
- Avoid the tops of hills and open fields
- Avoid water
- Avoid trees and other tall objects
“Remember: if you see a flash, dash inside,” the agency said on X.
What’s in the weather forecast for Sacramento?
In the Sacramento Valley, Carpenter said there will “be some clouds and potential for some sprinkles.”
According to the weather agency’s latest forecast for Sacramento, there was a slight chance of rain after 2 p.m. Friday, with light winds at around 6 mph.
The high will be near 100 degrees and the low will be around 72.
On Saturday, the forecast calls for partly sunny skies and winds around 3 to 8 mph.
The high will be near 101, and the low will be around 65.
On Sunday, Sacramento will see clear skies, with a high near 101 and a low around 62. Winds will be around 7 mph.
For Monday, the high will be near 101 and the low around 64.
This story was originally published August 2, 2024 at 11:42 AM.
