The National Weather Service in Sacramento welcomes the new year with forecasts of light mountain showers and cooler mornings. A weather system is set to move in late this week, according to the latest update from NWS Sacramento, bringing with it more widespread precipitation, light mountain snow, and a slight chance of Valley thunderstorms. The light showers today will have minimal impact, with less than a quarter inch of rain expected in most areas around the northern Sacramento Valley, foothills, and mountains.
Thursday will remain dry for much of the day, with rain returning by evening and continuing into Friday. Snow levels are expected to start high, above pass level, before dropping to between 5500 and 6500 feet by Friday evening. This could result in a 20 to 50 percent chance of more than 4 inches of snow at elevations above 6000 feet. Thunderstorm chances have decreased to about 10 percent for Friday, but should still be monitored.
By Saturday, an approaching ridge is expected to bring a break in the stormy weather, leading to drier conditions. From Sunday through Wednesday, dry weather will likely persist, with occasional gusty winds due to upper ridging over interior Northern California. High temperatures during this period are projected to be near or slightly above seasonal averages.
For travelers and aviators, local MVFR conditions will persist in the northern San Joaquin Valley until around 16z due to mist, with VFR conditions expected to prevail over the next 24 hours. Occasional showers may affect visibility, primarily in the foothills and mountains north of I-80. Surface winds across the region are forecast to remain at or below 12 knots.
