Cool, wet weekend coming to Northern California following record warm day in Sacramento
Temperatures will drop and showers are possible this weekend in Sacramento, days after the city smashed a heat record.
The capital city on Tuesday recorded a high of 74 degrees at the Sacramento Executive Airport station, according to the National Weather Service.
Not only did that exceed the previous record for that date, set last year, by 7 degrees, but NWS records show it as the hottest December day ever recorded at the Sacramento station. The weather service’s records span go back to 1941.
Downtown Sacramento’s weather gauge also recorded a record 72 degrees, four degrees warmer than the 1979 high temperature for Dec. 7.
On Thursday, a record high temperature of 68 degrees tied downtown’s record set in 1958.
Northern California weather will be more seasonably normal this weekend. High temperatures are forecast for the mid-to-high 50s Friday through Monday in Sacramento, with roughly a 50-50 chance of showers Friday night and Saturday, with light precipitation slightly more likely on Sunday. Overnight lows will dip to around 45 degrees.
In the Sierra Nevada, a winter weather advisory will be in effect from 4 p.m. to 7 a.m. Saturday, the weather service said Friday morning. Light snow is expected with about 2 inches possible at pass level Friday evening.
“Plan on periods of slick roads, travel delays, and possible chain controls if driving in the mountains during this time,” the NWS Sacramento office said.
Between 3 to 6 inches are possible in the central and northern Sierra on Sunday.
Temperatures in the Sacramento Valley will range from the 50s to low 60s, with the foothills slightly cooler from the upper 40s to mid-50s. Highs near South Lake Tahoe will be around 40 degrees.
This story was originally published December 11, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
