There’s a chance of snow in the Sacramento region. How low will it go?
Despite buzz on social media that Folsom might get a dusting of snow Tuesday, it’s unlikely residents will see more than rain, according to the National Weather Service – though other parts of the Sierra foothills in the Sacramento region may see some flurries.
Monday night’s low temperature in Folsom is not expected to drop below 36 degrees, let alone freezing (though snow can reach the ground in some cases when temperatures are above 32 degrees.) The high in Folsom on Tuesday is expected to be 47 degrees, and nighttime low is expected to be about 30, with mostly cloudy skies, according to NWS.
Still, the chance of snow at elevations as low as 2,000 feet meant some took to social media to proclaim excitement, taking screenshots of a snowflake icon listed on a weather forecast from the iPhone’s pre-installed Weather app, which uses data from the Weather Channel.
“Snow in the forecast starting at 5am tomorrow!!” wrote a user named Jeanette Carol Munroe on Facebook page Folsom Chat.
“Snow day!! Close the schools and highways!!” commented another user, Theresa Stackpoole Andrews.
“This was from the big storm of 2009! I’d love a repeat,” commented another user, Jan Volzer, along with a photo of what appears to be a backyard with a light coating of icy snow.
Snow in Sacramento County is so rare it’s no wonder residents are so optimistic — the last true “trace” of snow fell Dec. 7, 2009, according to a 2013 Bee story. Early last year the city was pelted with a hail storm that blanketed the ground and buildings with “graupel,” sometimes referred to as snow pellets.
To be clear, though, meteorologists pointed out that last year’s storm was not actual snow.
That isn’t to say snowpacks are entirely out of reach for Sacramento residents: Over the weekend a massive snowstorm hit the Sierra region, dumping inches — if not feet — of snow at various ski slopes.
And those in El Dorado Hills and Auburn may be slightly more fortunate — morning rain and snow showers have a 60 percent chance of occurring in both areas Tuesday, though it’s unlikely snow will stick in either part, according to NWS.
Higher in the Sierra in El Dorado County, some schools were closed Monday. Closures included William Brooks Elementary in Buckeye Union District, as well as the following districts: Camino Union, Gold Oak Union, Indian Diggings, Lake Tahoe Unified, Pioneer Union and Pollock Pines Elementary.
By week’s end, most of the Sacramento region will warm up and see high temperatures at or around 50 degrees, forecasters said.
This story was originally published February 4, 2019 at 12:19 PM.