Rain, snow and a 30-degree drop: Northern California weather takes a turn this weekend
The weather in Northern California in the latter half of April has been, in a word, weird.
Just one week after Sacramento set a daily heat record at 91 degrees, highs are forecast to dip into the upper 50s by this coming Sunday, quickly flip-flopping from about 15 degrees hotter to 15 degrees colder than normal for this time of year, according to the National Weather Service.
Rain is possible Saturday night and likely on Sunday near the capital, NWS forecasts show. Gusts could reach 20 mph Sunday.
The NWS has also issued a winter storm warning for the mountains, advising of heavy snow and major travel delays in the Sierra Nevada range from Saturday night through Monday morning.
Between 8 and 15 inches of snow could fall at elevations above 4,500 feet, with up to 2 feet possible at higher peaks, the NWS forecast shows. Lighter snow will fall down to about 4,000 feet.
In the South Lake Tahoe area, overnight lows could dip into the 20s Sunday and Monday nights, forecasts show.
Rain is welcome for a state that has now had a drought declared in two counties, but the weekend most likely won’t put a dent in abysmal rainfall totals across the Sacramento Valley and other parts of the state. Precipitation is expected to clear out by Monday night.
This story was originally published April 23, 2021 at 11:49 AM.
