Sacramento gets Wednesday rain ahead of big weekend atmospheric river storm
Sacramento is getting rain showers Wednesday morning, with a system bringing light to moderate precipitation across the Bay Area, the Sacramento Valley and the Sierra Nevada range.
Rain and light snowfall should subside by the afternoon or evening for most of Northern California, ahead of the big atmospheric river storm that’s expected to strike Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
Wednesday’s rain in the Sacramento area should end by mid-afternoon, at roughly 4 p.m., the latest radar forecasts from the local NWS office show. The NWS says up to about a quarter-inch of rain could fall.
The NWS also put a winter weather advisory in place through 9 p.m. Thursday, warning that 3 to 7 inches of snow could fall at elevations above 6,000 feet. Chain controls, travel delays and slippery roads are possible due to those snow levels.
Latest doppler radar loop for Northern California
Weekend storm looms for Northern California
Snow and rain will be much heavier this weekend, with the NWS currently predicting anywhere from 1 to 3 feet of snow in the Sierra, from Friday afternoon through Sunday, at elevations above about 5,500 feet.
In the valley, rain could start Thursday night, then pick up in intensity Friday. says between 1.5 and 2.5 inches of rain could fall throughout in the mountains, and 2.5 to 5 inches are possible in the foothills and lower Sierra elevations.
High temperatures are forecast to stay in the upper 50s to low 60s for the Sacramento area, with lows dipping to the upper 40s. Breezy winds are also expected for Sacramento and the valley starting Friday night. The Tahoe area will see max temperatures in the high 30s or 40s, dipping into the 20s overnight.
The storm comes as part of another atmospheric river; the storm that brought heavy storm and treacherous travel conditions to the mountains last week was also caused by an atmospheric river.
This time around, a “moisture surge” coming in from the southwest appears to be on a direct path up through the Bay Area, into the Sacramento region and through to the northern Sierra range, maps by the NWS show.
Latest visible satellite loop for West Coast
This story was originally published December 4, 2019 at 7:27 AM.
