Snowy Sierra, drizzly Sacramento but state likely to avoid big rains headed for Northwest
Sprinkles in Sacramento and snow showers in the Sierra are expected as a cold system lingers in the north state.
Temperatures were colder Monday morning than they were 24 hours earlier. In Sacramento, that meant a cold drizzle for folks heading back to work.
In the Sierra, the freezing temperatures spelled trouble on the highways. Interstate 80 was closed early Monday morning by blowing snow, and Highway 50 had chain controls all the way down to four miles east of Placerville.
LIVE TRAFFIC: Real-time conditions on Sacramento-area highways
The seven-day forecast calls for drying conditions, and no rain is predicted for Sacramento through the workweek starting Tuesday. A slight chance of showers is forecast for the weekend.
The National Weather Service notes that a series of atmospheric rivers appear headed for the Pacific Northwest into the weekend. The bulk of that moisture is expected to stay north of California.
The detailed, seven-day forecast for the Sacramento region from the NWS:
Monday: Scattered showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55. South-southeast wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. New precipitation of less than a tenth of an inch is possible.
Monday night: Isolated showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. South-southeast wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
Tuesday: Cloudy, with a high near 60. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the afternoon.
Tuesday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. Light and variable wind.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 67. Light and variable wind becoming northeast around 6 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 50.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 70.
Thursday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52.
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 71.
Friday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 49.
Saturday: A slight chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 67.
Saturday night: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52.
Sunday: A slight chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 66.
Bill Lindelof: 916-321-1079, @Lindelofnews
This story was originally published March 6, 2017 at 6:36 AM with the headline "Snowy Sierra, drizzly Sacramento but state likely to avoid big rains headed for Northwest."