SACRAMENTO, Calif — A trough originating from Western Canada dropped into Northern California on Sunday and brought light rain, snow, wind, and cold temperatures.
Rain has already begun falling across Northern California, along with Sierra snow. The center of low pressure is spinning over interior Northern California, causing air to rise and allowing the atmosphere to squeeze out the minimal moisture available.
The rain will be hit or miss, with some areas likely seeing no rain at all, while others may see anywhere from a few hundredths to a quarter of an inch.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the northern and central Sierra. 3 to 8 inches of snow are expected at pass level along with strong winds. Chain controls are likely on Sunday across the passes.
Another factor will be strong winds blowing from the north and northeast. Sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph are expected in the valley, paired with gusts of up to 50 mph. Winds will be strongest in the western Sacramento Valley and along the Sierra crest.
Very cold wind chill values are expected early this week. Monday morning low temperatures will be near freezing in the valley but the winds will still be going strong.
The cold temperatures, paired with gusty winds, will cause the "feels like" temperature, or the wind chill value, to drop to near 20 in Sacramento on Monday, and into the teens in some parts of the valley.
Tuesday and Wednesday will see wind chill values in the 20s as well.
Wind Chill is the term used to describe the rate of heat loss from the human body resulting from the combined effect of low temperature and wind.
As winds increase, heat is carried away from the body at a faster rate, driving down both the skin temperature and eventually the internal body temperature, according to the National Weather Service.
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