Strong weekend storm in Northern California to bring rain, drop feet of mountain snow
A “miracle” may not be the right term, but it looks like California is about to get a heavy dose of precipitation this weekend after a bone-dry February and meager start to March.
The National Weather Service says a system developing from the Pacific Northwest will bring heavy snow to the Sierra Nevada range, creating “major” mountain travel impacts, starting Saturday.
The storm will also drop significant amounts of much-needed rain throughout all of Northern California, NWS forecasts show. Parts of the Sierra foothills could see close to 4 inches from Saturday through Monday, and Sacramento should get between 1 and 2 inches over that span.
Overall, the heaviest precipitation will hit Saturday night through Sunday afternoon, according to the NWS. Rain will likely begin late Saturday morning in Sacramento and continue into the night. Thunderstorms are possible, most likely on Sunday afternoon. Heavier rain will give way to lighter showers by about Monday, possibly continuing through Wednesday.
This weekend will also bring a quick drop in temperatures and an uptick in gusty winds.
Sacramento on Thursday afternoon set a pair of daily records with highs of 82 degrees at Sacramento Executive Airport and 83 degrees downtown, each 2 degrees warmer than the previous high marks set in 2007, according to the NWS. California’s capital is forecast to hit 74 degrees on a sunny Friday afternoon, but is then predicted to plummet down to just 56 degrees Saturday and stay in the upper 50s into the middle of next week.
Gusts up to about 22 mph could start Friday night, die down a bit on Friday and return to around 20 mph Sunday in Sacramento, according to the NWS.
Sierra snow will hit hard and at low elevations
Forecasts call for about 2 to 4 feet of snow to fall between Saturday and Monday near the summit. At lower elevations between 2,500 to 3,500 feet, 4 to 8 inches are expected. More than 5 feet could fall at the highest elevations.
The NWS has issued a winter storm watch and is strongly discouraging travel Saturday night and on Sunday. Chain controls are very likely, and mountain highway closures are possible.
The best travel windows for those who insist on traversing the Sierra would be very early Saturday or late Monday, the NWS says.
How badly does California need rain, snow?
Pretty badly.
The U.S. Drought Monitor, produced by a consortium of federal agencies, in its most recent map and data show nearly half of California, 48 percent, is now in moderate drought status. Another 30 percent is “abnormally dry,” the monitor says, based on data collected this Tuesday.
The drought areas include nearly all of the Central Valley, much of the Sierra Nevada and foothills, most of the Bay Area and several Southern California counties, including San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura.
That’s bad news given the wildfire risk presented by such a sustained dry period, though it typically takes multiple dry winters consecutively to prompt an official drought emergency declaration.
A near-total lack of precipitation across Northern California in February is partly to blame. NWS data show Sacramento Executive Airport got nothing but a “trace” amount of rain in February and downtown Sacramento got 0.00 inches for the month, both unprecedented lows.
March hasn’t started off much better: 0.13 inches of rain so far for Sacramento, all of it coming from light showers last weekend.
This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 8:37 AM.
