Northern California to get gusty winds and wet weather the first weekend of 2026
The first weekend of 2026 is starting off with a bang — of thunder, that is.
Following a string of wet weather days around Christmas and New Year’s Eve, a winter storm will push heavy rain, thunderstorms, high winds and snow into the Sacramento area and the Sierra Nevada, according to the National Weather Service.
Here’s what you need to know for this weekend.
What’s in the forecast for Sacramento the weekend of Jan. 3?
Sacramento weather service meteorologist Katrina Hand said the latest round of rain is expected to arrive in Sacramento Friday evening and remain through Monday.
Rainfall between 1.5-2.5 inches is in the forecast for the capital city, she said. Saturday and Sunday could bring scattered thunderstorms to the valley and foothills, according to Hand.
Wind gusts will not reach as high as the Christmas Eve storm, which damaged cars and scattered debris throughout midtown Sacramento. Hand said wind gusts of up to 35 miles per hour is expected over the weekend.
Temperatures over the weekend will range from the high 40s to the high 50s, according to the weather service’s forecast for Sacramento.
What will Sierra Nevada snowfall look like this weekend?
Hand said the snow level will fall to about 5,000 feet in certain areas of the Sierra Nevada. Snow totals of 1–3 feet are forecast above that elevation, with up to 5 feet of snowfall possible for elevations above 6,000 feet, she said.
“(We expect) even some locally higher amounts over the peak,” Hand said. “So a lot going on in the next 72 hours or so.”
Temperatures at lake level are expected to stay in the 30s through most of the weekend, dipping into the high 20s on Sunday evening, a weather service forecast reported Friday.
Are there any severe weather warnings in Northern California?
The majority of the Sacramento Valley and the central Sierra Nevada were under weather warnings as of Friday afternoon.
The Sacramento area and the Sierra foothills under 4,000 feet of elevation are under a flood watch from Friday evening through Monday afternoon. Cities affected by the watch include Sacramento, Chico, Marysville, Yuba City, Oroville, Redding, Grass Valley and Red Bluff.
According to the California Nevada River Forecast Center, none of the Sacramento area’s rivers are forecast to reach flooding levels through Jan. 6.
The center predicts the Cosumnes and Sacramento rivers may reach a water level that flows into bypasses at various locations, including the Fremont Weir, Yolo Bypass and Michigan Bar.
In the Lake Tahoe area, above 7,000 feet, a winter storm warning is in place from midnight Saturday until 10 a.m. Monday.
Heavy snowfall and winds are expected to make travel through the mountains “difficult to impossible,” due to downed trees, power lines and whiteout conditions, according to the National Weather Service.
Hand said traversing the Sierra Nevada’s highways and roads is “highly discouraged” during the storm. If traveling into the dangerous winter storm conditions is necessary, the weather service urges people to carry extra flashlights, food and water in their vehicles in case they become stranded.
“I know there’s a lot of people who probably will want to head up and see the snow, but yeah, it’s going to be pretty dangerous,” Hand said. “So we just want to encourage people to reconsider.”
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