Heavy rain and winter weather headed to Northern California. Here’s the latest forecast
Rain and gusty winds are coming to Northern California with precipitation in Sacramento expected to start as soon as Monday evening.
Sacramento can expect up to 1 inch of rain along with wind speeds between 30 to 35 mph starting Monday around 5 p.m. into Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office.
Here’s what you need to know about rain, wind and snow headed to the region:
Detailed Sacramento forecast
Monday | High of 60 degrees
Showers are likely after 5 p.m. with increasing clouds and a 60% chance of precipitation.
Monday night | Low of 52 degrees
Showers are likely with possible showers and a thunderstorm after 11 p.m. Winds increase to 20 to 25 mph after midnight and could gust as high as 32 mph.
There’s a 100% chance of rain.
Tuesday | High of 59 degrees
Showers mainly before 11 a.m. Wind speed 13 to 16 mph with gust as high as 26 mph.
There’s an 80% chance of rain.
Tuesday night | Low of 50 degrees
Mostly cloudy skies with wind around 5 mph.
The rest of the week is expected to be dry.
Regional precipitation and wind gust
Expect longer travel times, moderate rain and gusty winds Monday evening into Tuesday.
Rain is projected to be its heaviest Monday night. So remember to prepare your rain gear, check your wiper blades, allow extra time to reach your destination and secure any loose items.
Here’s how Sacramento’s weather forecast compares to other parts of Northern California.
Sacramento: .5 inches to 1 inch of rain, 30 to 35 mph
Santa Rosa: 2 to 3 inches of rain, 20 to 25 mph
San Francisco: 1 inch to 2 inches of rain, 40 to 45 mph
Modesto: .5 inches to 1 inch of rain, 30 to 35 mph
Yosemite: 1 inch to 2 inches of rain, 10 to 15 mph
South Lake Tahoe: 1 inch to 2 inches of rain, 35 to 40 mph
Stockton: .5 inches to 1 inch of rain, 30 to 35 mph
Winter advisory in mountains
4 p.m. Monday to 7 a.m. Tuesday
Winter weather will bring moderate amounts of mountain snow over the Sierra Nevada and other mountain ranges in the region starting late Monday into Tuesday Morning.
Here’s what parts will to be affected.
Shasta County mountains: 4 to 12 inches of snow above 4000 feet.
Western Plumas: 7 to 10 inches above 6000 ft and up to 24 inches at Lassen National Park.
Northern Sierra: 2 to 8 inches of snow for 6000 to 8000 ft and 6 to 8 inches above 8000 feet.
If you have mountain travel plans, be prepared for snow-covered slippery roads, reduced visibility at times and travel delays.
What California needs to recover from drought
According to the U.S. Geological Survey and the hydrology team at the California Department of Water Resources, California needs 140% of precipitation to reach average runoff conditions.
The average amount of precipitation in California is 23 inches per year, said Michelle Stern, a hydrologist at USGS. The state would need 140% of that — around 32 inches — to recover.
The average across California in October was 4 inches. This year, the state would “need an additional 28 inches of precipitation ... to recover to average runoff conditions,” Stern said.
Essentially, with 140% of rainfall, there will be a sufficient amount water to moisturize the soil to conditions where runoff to the reservoirs is possible.
Bee utility team reporter Hanh Truong contributed reporting.
This story was originally published November 8, 2021 at 10:18 AM.