Rain and snow will hit Northern California this weekend. What about Christmas?
There’s no such thing as a white Christmas in Sacramento. But if it’s any consolation, it might be gray and wet.
The latest National Weather Service forecasts show a weekend storm hitting Northern California that will likely drop the heaviest rain Saturday evening, but showers and overcast conditions could linger into Christmas Eve and Christmas Day near the capital. Light Sierra Nevada snow showers could also continue into the holiday.
Latest doppler radar loop for Northern California
NWS precipitation forecasts show Sacramento getting between a half-inch and an inch of rain Saturday through Monday. A warning to Bay Area travelers and football fans: rain is likely in Santa Clara coinciding with the 49ers home game against the Los Angeles Rams, a rare Saturday romp kicking off at 5:15 p.m.
Mountain travel will also be a challenge this weekend. Forecasts show the northern and central Sierra mountains could get about a foot of snow, including near Tahoe, with snowfall as low as 4,500 feet Saturday and 4,000 feet Sunday, according to the NWS. Delays and chain controls near the summit are likely.
Sacramento and the Tahoe area will both be cool but dry before the weekend. Sacramento will see highs near 60 degrees and overnight temperatures in the low 40s now through at least Monday.
If you’re thinking of skiing or snowboarding, temperatures should top out between the high 30s to low 40s at Tahoe-area resorts through early next week. There should be fresh powder after a midweek winter storm dropped several inches.
