Rain? Snow!? Wetter, much colder weather rolls into Northern California this weekend
It’s finally going to start feeling more like November. And, if you can believe it, it might even rain.
The latest National Weather Service forecasts show a major cooldown hitting Northern California this weekend. Highs in Sacramento are expected to plummet to 61 degrees by Friday, then down to the upper 50s from Saturday through Monday.
It had been as warm as 83 degrees as recently as the start of this week, and Thursday’s anticipated high was 80 as of the morning. The capital city will essentially flip from 10 degrees warmer to 10 cooler than average in a day. Sunday and Monday’s overnight lows could be as chilly as 37 degrees, NWS forecasts show.
There’s also about a 30% chance of showers Friday and a 20% likelihood Saturday night through Sunday morning, according to the latest forecasts. Each round, if they materialize, is expected to bring less than a quarter-inch of precipitation.
Remember: Roads are particularly slippery after long periods without rain, and in Sacramento, it has definitely been a while. The last measurable precipitation total recorded at the Sacramento Executive Airport weather station was 0.02 inches on Aug. 16, according to NWS records. Before that? Nothing but trace amounts since mid-May.
It’ll also be windy Friday, with sustained winds up to 14 mph and gusts up to 18 mph in Sacramento.
The NWS says there is a chance of isolated thunderstorms in parts of the Sacramento Valley and foothills late Friday morning through early afternoon.
Mountain snow
The NWS has issued a winter storm watch from Friday morning through Sunday evening for Sierra Nevada elevations above 5,000 feet.
Snow totaling 6 inches to more than a foot could fall in most of those mountain areas, with localized amounts that could approach 2 feet.
Travel delays and chain controls are possible in the mountains. There might be a brief break in snowfall Saturday afternoon.
Temperatures near South Lake Tahoe will drop from the low 40s Friday to the 30s Saturday and Sunday, NWS forecasts show.
This story was originally published November 5, 2020 at 11:01 AM.
