Rain and snow hit Sacramento region. How long will it last?

Sacramento received some much-needed rain and snow Saturday, and a winter storm warning is now in effect through Monday, the National Weather Service said.

In the region, downtown received the most rainfall, taking on 0.28 of an inch by 4 p.m. Saturday. Sacramento International Airport had 0.21 of an inch.

Areas in the foothills got more rain, with 0.62 of an inch in Auburn and 0.83 of an inch in Placerville.

The heaviest precipitation is expected to hit Saturday night through Sunday afternoon, with an additional 0.11 to 0.17 inches expected to fall, according to the weather service. Thunderstorms are possible, most likely on Sunday afternoon. Heavier rain will give way to lighter showers by Monday, possibly continuing through Wednesday.

High temperatures will remain in the low to mid-50s through the weekend and early next week. Nightly low temperatures will be in the 40s, according to weather service forecasts.

Snowfall in the Sierra Nevada severely slowed traffic Saturday, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. Weather hazards caused authorities to close Interstate 80 to westbound traffic in Truckee and at Donner Pass.

Drivers should expect major travel delays through the rest of the weekend with near whiteout conditions. Areas above 4,000 feet in the Sierra can expect 2 to 6 feet of snow, according to the forecast.

“Travel is highly discouraged,” the weather service said.

After a dry February, California is in need of rain and snow, The Sacramento Bee reported.

The U.S. Drought Monitor, produced by a consortium of federal agencies, in its most recent map and data show nearly half of California is now in moderate drought status. An additional 30 percent is “abnormally dry,” the monitor says, based on data collected Tuesday.

The drought areas include nearly all of the Central Valley, much of the Sierra Nevada and foothills, most of the Bay Area and several Southern California counties, including San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura.

That’s bad news given the wildfire risk presented by such a sustained dry period, though it typically takes multiple dry winters consecutively to prompt an official drought emergency declaration.

A near-total lack of precipitation across Northern California in February is partly to blame. Weather service data show Sacramento Executive Airport received nothing but a “trace” amount of rain in February, and downtown Sacramento saw no rainfall for the month, both unprecedented lows.

March hasn’t started off much better: 0.13 inches of rain so far for Sacramento, all of it coming from light showers last weekend.