Sacramento took brunt of latest storm. Here’s how much rain fell in the region
Sacramento took the brunt of Monday afternoon’s storm that brought hail, rain and some thunder and lightning to the capital region.
The National Weather Service in Sacramento measured .76 inches of rainfall at both Sacramento International and Executive airports between 5 a.m. Monday and 5 a.m. Tuesday. That’s more than any other NWS-monitored gauge received across Northern California north of Lake McClure in Mariposa County (2.93 inches in the same period), according to the National Weather Service in Sacramento.
Monday afternoon, the weather service issued a special weather advisory for the Sacramento area, including Arden Arcade and Elk Grove for hail, lightning and intense rain. It lasted until around 4:30 p.m.
At the gauge on Alta Arden Expressway near Howe Avenue, one of Sacramento County’s weather location sites, .71 inches of rainfall was recorded from the storm, according to Sacramento County’s ALERT system.
Here’s how much rain fell in Northern California in the 24-hour period ending at 5 a.m. Tuesday, according to the weather service:
SACRAMENTO: .76 inches
REDDING: No rain recorded
RED BLUFF: .26 inches
OROVILLE: .10 inches
PARADISE: .09 inches
MARYSVILLE: 0.12 inches
ALDER SPRINGS: .17 inches
MODESTO: .10 inches
STOCKTON: .13 inches
Points south — including Clovis, Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego — received an inch or more in rain from the storm. Bay Area spots generally received around a quarter-inch of precipitation.
Snowfall numbers
Meteorologist Scott Rowe from the weather service’s Sacramento office said the Sacramento Valley received more precipitation than the mountains Tuesday, he said it was “unfortunate” Sacramento couldn’t get any more rainfall from the storm.
Snowfall in the mountains is important for the state’s water supply during the continued drought, especially as water officials carry out the final snowpack measurements of the year Friday at Phillips Station.
“It’s important that we get something at least,” Rowe said. “Later in the wet season we go, the more difficult it is to really add more to the snowpack.”
Kirkwood Mountain Resort, south of Lake Tahoe, received 10 inches of total snowfall. While Diamond Peak, located in Lake Tahoe, reported a storm total of two inches.
“That’s going to be some of the state’s water supply through the summer months and then into the fall,” Rowe said. “Ultimately our state is very much dependent on water resources, our reservoirs and then the snowpack.”
Statewide, the snowpack is at 39% of average for Tuesday, according to the Department of Water Resources’ network of reporting stations.
This story was originally published March 29, 2022 at 11:36 AM.