SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Although it will still be cool, widespread rain and snow won’t be present through the weekend in Sacramento apart from isolated showers the next two days.
A few rain and snow showers will persist Wednesday and Thursday following the landfall of the low pressure system that explosively intensified as it neared the coast.
Temperatures will remain cool for the rest of the week, this weekend, and likely through the end of March. The 8-14 day outlook issued by the Climate prediction Center has cool and slightly wetter than normal conditions favored for California.
High temperatures in the valley will hover in the upper 50s and lower 60s for the rest of the week. The sun will be out as well, along with a few clouds.
Cold morning temperatures are expected beginning Friday morning thanks to clearing skies. The coldest morning will be Sunday and a frost advisory is already in place for this weekend.
Flooding concerns will be kept at bay for now, thanks to the expected cooler temperatures that will keep the snowpack largely intact. Highs in the Sierra are forecast to be in the 30s and 40s through the weekend and may be even colder next week as a new storm system approaches.
The next system looks to move inland on Tuesday, bringing another batch of soaking rain to the valley and more snow to the already historic Sierra snowpack.
This storm system will likely undergo an explosive intensification process, much like the Tuesday storm. This time it will happen over the open ocean, far away from California's shores.
This doesn't mean that gusty winds and widespread precipitation won't accompany the system. It is too early to nail down specifics but expect more impacts from rain and snow in the valley and the Sierra.
Sacramento has received 24.56" of rain dating back to the start of the water year, Oct. 1. The normal to date is 15.75", placing the city at 156% of average this winter. Statewide, the snowpack continues to build and is now at 227% of average.
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