SACRAMENTO, Calif — A new storm moving into Northern California is set to make an impact during part of the weekend.
Friday the storm will make for a foggy and grey start to the day, with some light snow in the mountains. During the afternoon and evening, the rain will pick up on top of Sierra snow falling to about 6,500 feet, then dropping to 5,000 feet into Saturday and early Sunday, if there is anything left.
Valley rain will linger overnight and start to break up in the morning. Most of Saturday for the Valley should be a mix of sun and clouds and there is a chance for a few overnight showers before a mostly clear Sunday.
For the Sierra, snow will fall most of the day Friday and Saturday, but it will be generally light. We could see 6-8 inches of snow over the lower passes and up to a foot or more for Sierra resorts.
Chain controls, longer travel times, and delays are possible in the Sierra by Friday afternoon through Sunday morning. It will be storm skiing on Saturday and a beautiful, but busy Sunday bluebird powder day.
And all the rain Northern California has recently received has helped the Golden State. Two months ago, the U.S. Drought Monitor categorized more 81% of the state as abnormally dry because of above-normal temperatures and a lack of precipitation.
As recently as last week, 85% of the state was abnormally dry, but heavy rains throughout the state have shrunk the percentage to a sliver along the Oregon-California border.
The U.S. Drought Monitor is a product of federal agencies and the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Its information is used by states to declare drought. California had seven years of drought that ended in March 2019.
RELATED WEATHER CONTENT:
RAIN OR SHINE? GET THE LATEST FORECAST IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD BY DOWNLOADING THE ABC10 APP:
►Stay In the Know! Sign up now for ABC10's Daily Blend Newsletter
WATCH MORE: 'Feel good Friday' at Boreal Mountain
The ski resort says more than 100 inches of snow has already fallen this season.
