Rain leaves roads slick for morning commute, and more is on the way

The wet morning commute was likely to give way to partially clearing skies that could still deliver a shower or two in the Sacramento area.

The band of moisture-laden clouds that spawned traffic crashes on the region’s freeways, struck with steady rain after midnight. In the six hours ending at 6 a.m., nearly a half inch of rain fell in Sacramento.

What this week’s storms mean for California’s flood control system

Unofficial overnight rain totals as of 6 a.m.: Sacramento, 0.45, Elk Grove, 0.51, Rancho Cordova, 0.47, Sacramento International Airport, 0.82, Rio Linda, 0.59, Roseville, 0.43, Folsom Lake, 0.20, Lincoln, 0.55 and Auburn, 0.71.

The Wednesday morning rain followed a soaker of a Tuesday that saw roads flooded throughout the area. While thunderstorms sent rain down hard in some neighborhoods, other spots avoided much precipitation.

Sacramento received about 1.30 inches in 24 hours as of 6 a.m. Wednesday. However, Rancho Cordova got just 0.54 during the same time period as a result of the hit-or-miss nature of the thunderstorms.

Sacramento’s rainfall total for the season is nearing 30 inches. As of midnight Tuesday, a total of 29.16 inches had fallen since the season started Oct. 1 – and that was before Wednesday morning’s moderate rainfall.

Look for showery conditions and a chance of thunderstorms for the remainder of Wednesday in Sacramento, according to the National Weather Service. Thursday looks like it will be a sunny day before a fairly significant storm arrives Friday.

The detailed, seven-day forecast for the Sacramento region from the NWS:

Wednesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce small hail. High near 62. South southeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Wednesday night: Isolated showers before 11 p.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 43. South wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. Calm wind becoming southwest around 6 mph in the afternoon.

Thursday night: A 20 percent chance of rain after 11 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. South southeast wind 3 to 7 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday: Rain. High near 59. Southeast wind 6 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent.

Friday night: Showers, mainly before 11 p.m. Low around 48. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.

Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 65.

Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45.

Sunday: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61.

Sunday night: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48.

Monday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 66.

Monday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 43.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 68.

This story was originally published March 22, 2017 at 8:01 AM with the headline "Rain leaves roads slick for morning commute, and more is on the way."