Commute delays expected as fog rolls into Northern California. Will Sacramento see more rain?
Patches of dense fog have blanketed parts of the Sacramento area Monday morning following a rainy weekend across Northern California.
The National Weather Service warns that poor visibility across a stretch of the Central Valley – up north nearly to Chico and down south through Stockton, Modesto and Merced – is expected to create commute delays through about 10 a.m.
Visibility was less than 1/4 mile on some Sacramento-area highways early Monday and close to zero in parts of the San Joaquin Valley, according to the NWS.
Weekend rain totals
A little less rain than initially anticipated ended up falling in Sacramento from Friday through Sunday, during the latest atmospheric river storm to hit Northern California.
The NWS station at Sacramento Executive Airport recorded just over 3/4 inch in those three days after early forecasts warned that as much as 2 1/2 inches could fall. The bulk of it, nearly half an inch, fell Saturday.
The storm ended up somewhat scattered, with rainfall varying by location. Only 0.45 inches fell at Sacramento Executive on Saturday, but downtown Sacramento got 0.79 inches that day and just over an inch for the weekend. The storm brought heavier rain in the foothills east of Sacramento, as well as the north Sacramento Valley.
Heavy evening rain Saturday led to a flood advisory being issued for southwestern El Dorado, west central Amador and eastern Sacramento counties. Redding Airport blew past a daily record for rainfall with 2.72 inches, all before 4 p.m. Saturday, the NWS Sacramento office said in a tweet. That broke a 67-year-old record of 2.01 inches.
Another weather record was tied in Sacramento – but not for rain. The max temperature of 67 degrees matched the previous record high for Dec. 7, set in 1988, according to the NWS.
In the Sierra Nevada mountains, NWS 72-hour snowfall reports show that the greater Tahoe area, including summit levels along Highway 50 and Interstate 80, received about a foot of snow for the weekend.
Latest doppler radar loop for Northern California
Will it rain this week?
The current forecast for the Sacramento area includes a roughly 20 percent chance of rain each night Tuesday through Friday, with daytime conditions expected to stay dry.
Sacramento will see high temperatures in the mid to upper 50s through the end of the week, with overnight lows in the 40s.
The NWS describes it as a mild week across most of interior Northern California. Valley rain showers and light snow in the mountains, above 5,500 feet, could stick around through the end of the week.
Latest visible satellite loop for West Coast
This story was originally published December 9, 2019 at 7:20 AM.
