The National Weather Service in Sacramento has forecasted a wet backdrop to the upcoming holiday week, painting a consistently dreary and damp scene for Sacramento residents. The city, which is no stranger to bouts of precipitation, braces for a wave of rain systems poised to saturate the region well through Christmas Day. According to the NWS predictions, rainfall is set to begin this afternoon, with a 70% chance of precipitation and new rainfall amounts measuring between a tenth and a quarter of an inch.
Rainfall is expected to intensify overnight, with temperatures unusually climbing to around 59 degrees Fahrenheit by the wee morning hours. Gusts reaching up to 20 mph accompany the south wind, underscoring a 100% chance of rainfall that could tally between a quarter to half an inch. While sleeping, the residents will be misted, with the rain continuing unabated into Sunday.
Sunday's outlook maintains the trend, promising no reprieve as rainfall persists with 100% certainty, and the possibility of half to three-quarters of an inch of precipitation adds to the growing totals. Winds from the south southeast will likely gust as high as 25 mph. Sunday night's forecast mirrors the day's wetness, maintaining a steady rain and 100% chance of continued precipitation, according to the NWS.
The pattern persists into Monday, with a 90% chance of more rain and similar conditions stretching into Monday night. With every raindrop, Sacramento streets are expected to grow reflective with the constant sheen of rainfall. The rain will contribute to early-week accumulations, insists NWS, which might surpass the inch mark by the time Tuesday concludes.
As the workweek trudges on, so does the rain, with Tuesday and Wednesday both holding high probabilities of precipitation at 70% and 100% respectively. The temperatures will consistently hover in the mid-50s during the day while dropping slightly at night. This cooling trend continues gradually, reaching a low around 47 degrees by Thursday night, with rain still likely in the forecast.
Christmas Day in Sacramento is expected to be wet and overcast, with rain likely throughout the day and temperatures topping out near 53 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, making it one of the cooler and soggier Christmases in recent years and dampening prospects for outdoor celebrations, while hopes for a white Christmas give way to a holiday defined instead by umbrellas and rain boots.
To cap off the week, Friday’s forecast suggests that the rainfall is likely to persist, with the high barely pushing the mercury to the 50-degree mark as the clouds cling stubbornly to Sacramento’s skies, according to the same NWS report. As citizens of Sacramento nestle into the holiday spirit, it seems the skies will be unyielding, reminding us that weather, too, often has its own agenda, irrespective of our terrestrial festivities.
