How long will dreary weather last in Sacramento? What to know about storms and fire risk

A low-pressure system developed overnight in the Sacramento area, resulting in rain showers that are expected to last until Tuesday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

Chances for showers and scattered storms in the capital region are expected to continue until around 5 p.m. or 6 p.m., according to the weather service. Further north, storms are expected to last until 8 p.m.

Rain showers began Monday night, and a few produced some lightning in San Joaquin and Sacramento counties. An isolated thunderstorm developed around sunrise.

The greater Sacramento area received less than a tenth of an inch of rain from showers overnight Monday, and Tuesday’s showers aren’t expected to yield much more, according to the weather service.

“We aren’t really expecting that much precipitation to fall to the ground, especially in the lower elevations, where we’re at in Sacramento,” said Katrina Hand, a weather service meteorologist.

Because the surface is “very dry” in Sacramento, the rain will likely evaporate before it hits the ground, which is called a virga, or dry, thunderstorm.

Higher elevation regions, such as the Sierra Nevada and foothills, have a “slightly better chance” of seeing a measurable amount of rain Tuesday, Hand said.

And while significant, gusty winds are not predicted in Sacramento, some breezy winds from the Delta are expected. Forecasts predict gusts reaching up to 18 mph.

Do thunderstorms pose wildfire risk?

Summer thunderstorms can pose a risk for wildfires especially for areas of lower elevation, like in Sacramento.

“Essentially, if the ground is dry, lightning is one of the potential causes for fire sparks,” Hand said.

Since the area’s thunderstorms aren’t resulting in much precipitation, there is a chance that lightning could spark a fire, especially due to the dry conditions at the surface.

“The rain evaporates before it hits the ground, so the lightning is not getting any wetting rain with it,” Hand explained.

In a discussion on the area’s forecast Tuesday morning, the weather service said it “has not observed any cloud-to-ground lightning strikes in our area; only a handful of cloud-to-cloud strikes in San Joaquin County.”

The meteorologist added that fires are less likely during regular, or wet, thunderstorms due to the heavy downpour associated with them.

However, even when storms generate rain, lightning can strike outside of the central rain core which can result in fire sparks.

The weather service advises people to keep an eye out for smoke and to call 9-1-1 if they see it.

Other lightning safety tips include taking shelter indoors, avoiding tall trees or objects and avoiding outdoor water sources like rivers and lakes.

This story was originally published July 26, 2022 at 10:59 AM.