SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The atmosphere is throwing one more storm at California before a much needed break from the rain and snow sets in Thursday.
This won't be the same type of storm that's caused the widespread flooding the state has experienced lately. This system is dropping down from the north and will be relatively moisture-starved due to the lack of connection to an atmospheric river. The tailing cold front of a system stretching nearly all the way to Alaska will dip into Northern California Wednesday night, bringing valley rain, mountain snow, and gusty winds to the region.
Impacts will begin ahead of the front in the evening hours as winds will begin to pick up. Winds of 25-30 mph are expected in the valley and 40-50 mph in the Sierra.
A few showers could form around 4-5 p.m. in the greater Sacramento area, but the main band of rain associated with the front will push south through the area by 8-9 p.m. only lasting a few hours. The rain will be done by the very early morning hours and will not impact the commute.
Storms with a similar setup to this have a history of underperforming due to a lack of moisture, especially in the valley, so expect anywhere from 0.1-0.5" in the valley.
This will be a cold storm, too. The cold temperatures will result in low snow levels, with a few flakes possible down to 2,500 feet. The snow will be fluffier than the average moisture-laden Sierra snow, with snow to liquid water ratios of 20:1 possible. Therefore, another 1-2 feet is expected in the Sierra above 5,000 feet. The snow will be done by Thursday morning.
The presence of high pressure overhead beginning Thursday will allow the state to dry out, but temperatures will still be below average. A lack of cloud cover and lighter winds will mean fog and near freezing morning temperatures will be possible for the extended forecast.
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