Light rain in Sacramento, heavy Sierra snow as weekend storm hits Northern California
The first storm of April for Northern California will bring relatively light rain to the Sacramento Valley, but will pound the Sierra range with heavy snow this weekend.
After a sunny Friday with a high in the upper 60s, the National Weather Service says showers and rainfall will start Saturday in Sacramento and continue through at least Monday and possibly later into the week.
About a half-inch to an inch of rain could fall near the capital, according to the NWS, and temperatures will drop by about 10 degrees to the high 50s.
The Sierra foothills could get closer to 2 or 3 inches of rain, forecasts show.
Heavy storm coming to mountains, forecasts show
The snow outlook is more severe. It’s officially spring now, but the NWS has issued a winter weather watch for elevations above 4,500 feet starting Saturday morning and lasting through Monday morning.
Forecasts show 1 to 3 feet could fall near that elevation, including near the Donner Summit and Echo and Carson passes, with localized amounts reaching up to 4 feet total over the three-day stretch.
Snow that heavy and low is likely to create travel delays and require chain controls for those looking to traverse mountain highways, the NWS warns. Road closures are possible as well.
