Rain, snow, cold: Storm to hit Northern California this week, including the mountains
Somebody call Guns N’ Roses: It may be time for cold November rain in the capital region.
Precipitation is in the forecast for Northern California this week, including rain in the Sacramento Valley and snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains, along with a significant cool-down as the calendar flips past October.
For Sacramento, rain showers will likely begin midday Tuesday, with the National Weather Service predicting between a quarter-inch and half-inch falling by the end of the day.
Forecasts show only about a 20% chance of rain Wednesday, but showers could return by the weekend after a dry Thursday and Friday.
After Halloween’s forecast high of 70 degrees, daytime highs near Sacramento will dip into the low 60s the rest of the week, which would be about 10 degrees cooler than normal for this time of year, according to the weather service.
Downtown Sacramento saw no rain in October, last recording measurable precipitation (0.07 inches) on Sept. 21, according to weather service data.
A few inches of snow are anticipated Tuesday and Wednesday across the Sierra Nevada from east of Fresno to the Oregon border, including the Lake Tahoe Basin. The latest forecasts call for 3 to 8 inches at elevations above 5,000 feet, with up to a foot possible at 7,500 feet or higher.
Gusty mountain winds are also anticipated, as the midweek winter storm makes travel conditions hazardous. Forecasts show gusts could approach 50 mph throughout the Sierra range, with gusts up to 100 mph possible Tuesday evening on high ridges.
Temperatures in South Lake Tahoe will plummet from the low 60s on Monday to the high 30s by Wednesday, with overnight lows falling into the teens by midweek.
The weather service has a winter storm watch in place from Monday night through Wednesday afternoon. Chain controls and highway delays are likely, with mountain travel highly discouraged.
