After the weekend deluge, Sacramento area is in for a return to warmer, drier weather

The Sacramento region saw a stormy weekend punctuated by volleys of rain, thunder and even flooding, but area residents eager for a change may be in luck.

The weekend storm brought a fierce rainstorm across Northern California — briefly triggering a localized flood of Arcade Creek near American River College and flood warnings from Paradise to Modesto — and the Sierra Nevada saw more than a foot of snow at high elevations and whiteout conditions over the summit.

But the storm is largely set to break next week, according to National Weather Service forecaster Hannah Chandler-Cooley.

The brunt of the rainstorms in the Valley were done by Sunday afternoon, Chandler-Cooley said, but it will take some time for flooding to recede and low pressure systems to move completely out of the area.

“There could still be some slightly stronger spells that pop up,” she said.

That means scattered showers may continue into Monday morning, but rain should mostly die down by Monday evening, she said.

Those low pressure systems, Chandler-Cooley said, were not just responsible for the strong weekend storm, but also a cold snap in the Sacramento area.

For about the last week, temperatures have been somewhat below normal, but by the middle of the week the region is likely to see a return to warmer, drier weather, she said.

“We are getting back to normal,” Chandler-Cooley said.

The average high temperature for this time of year is in the upper 60s, she said, but Sunday’s high was around 58 degrees.

Tuesday’s high is expected to be around 67 and Wednesday’s should be around 73, Chandler-Cooley said.

Although there is a slight chance of showers in the eastern Sacramento Valley on Tuesday morning, but both Tuesday and Wednesday should be mostly dry, she said.

In the Sierra Nevada, the storm was still underway as of Sunday afternoon, and travelers should expect heavy snow through Monday morning, plus lighter lingering snowfall through Tuesday.

This story was originally published April 6, 2020 at 5:00 AM.