SACRAMENTO, California —
A major change in the weather is on the way just in time for the holiday weekend.
Rain showers, much below average temperatures, and even a few snow flurries along the Sierra crest are possible this weekend thanks to an unusually strong low pressure system heading toward Northern California.
Before that, Thursday will remain hot and smoky with temperatures in the low to mid 90s across the valley before the cooler air moves in on Friday and lasts through the holiday weekend.
Labor Day 2023 could not be more different than last year's dangerously hot, record-setting Labor Day weekend heat.
Downtown Sacramento hit 116 degrees on Sept. 6 last year, which is the hottest temperature in recorded history for the city. Friday, the first day of September, is only forecast to reach 76 degrees - a shocking 40-degree difference compared to around the same time last year.
Monday will be warmer, but still below average and is forecast to only be in the upper 80s. The average high temperature through the first week of September is 92 degrees in Sacramento, and the last time Labor Day was below average was 2016 (91 degrees on Sept. 5). Labor Day 2021 had temperatures well above 100 degrees, as did 2020.
The influx of cool air will push south from the Pacific Northwest, where the same system is delivering rain to areas in Oregon that haven’t had rain in months. The cooler, unsettled air will be in place across Northern California through the Monday holiday.
The unhealthy air quality across Northern California on Wednesday and Thursday will be pushed out of the region by gusty southwesterly winds overnight Thursday. Wind gusts of 20-25 mph are expected in the greater Sacramento area and up to 50 mph in the Sierra.
Not only will the low pressure system bring relief from the heat and smoke, but much of Northern California will see rain in the coming days.
The cold front associated with the low pressure system is expected to deliver rain to Northern California on Friday and chances will continue through the weekend, mainly north of Interstate 80.
Rain in the valley will be hit or miss, but the best chances will be on Friday morning. Sacramento is expected to only see a few hundredths of an inch of rain, but areas closer to the foothills could see more. Thunderstorm activity will likely be limited to the northern and central Sacramento Valley and the Sierra.
In the Sierra, it will feel more like November rather than the first week of September.
Highs will only be in the 50s and lower 60s and rain will be widespread on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday along with thunderstorms. Snow levels will be around 9,000-10,000 feet, so it is possible that the high mountain peaks could see a dusting of snow. Upwards of an inch of rain is expected in the Sierra, but most locations will see anywhere from 0.25" to 1" of precipitation. Low temperatures will drop well into the 30s, making for cold nights.
Looking ahead to the rest of next week, a moderate warmup is expected to raise temperatures back into the lower 90s in the valley, which is right around average for this time of year.
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