Another big cool-down is forecast for Sacramento this week. Will it finally rain?
Sacramento’s late winter weather roller coaster will continue this week.
Daytime temperatures in the 70s earlier in the week are expected to cool to about 60 degrees by Thursday and possibly dip into the high 50s by Saturday, according to National Weather Service forecasts.
Forecasters predict a slight chance of showers Wednesday night and a 50% chance of precipitation on Thursday around the capital region, which could snap a record-long streak for this time of year.
Tuesday marked 53 days without measurable rainfall in Sacramento, a new record for such a dry stretch, according to the weather service. The city last received a recorded amount of rain — less than a tenth of an inch — on Jan. 7.
Another slight chance for rain may develop Friday evening, but Saturday and Sunday should be sunny and dry, forecasts show.
Snow showers will be possible Thursday afternoon into the weekend in the Sierra Nevada mountains, mostly at elevations above 7,000 feet, according to the weather service. Daytime highs near South Lake Tahoe will drop from the mid-50s on Tuesday to around freezing by Saturday, forecasts show.
Between daytime highs and overnight lows, temperatures in Sacramento have fluctuated by close to 50 degrees in the past week. The weather service reported temperatures of 27 degrees and 28 degrees, respectively, in the early mornings last Thursday and Friday. Downtown then reached 75 degrees Monday afternoon, after dipping to 43 degrees Sunday night.
Average high temperatures for late February and early March in Sacramento are about 64 degrees and average lows are about 43, according to the weather service.
Overnight temperatures are expected to range in the 40s the rest of this week.
Last week’s cold snap set records as Sacramento reached freezing or below freezing Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings.
Officials in Sacramento and Elk Grove, as well as Sacramento County, opened respite warming shelters for homeless residents.
The county in a news release Tuesday shared numbers for last week’s centers, as well as for its weather respite motel voucher program.
The two county-run shelters housed a combined average of about 33 residents per night last Tuesday through Friday. The county also distributed 650 motel vouchers, about 163 a night.
This story was originally published March 1, 2022 at 11:11 AM.
