Sacramento woke up soggy on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, with light rain and a chilly 48°F greeting much of the city and suburbs. Spotty showers and a chance of thunderstorms are on tap through the morning, with pockets of heavy downpours and lightning possible before midday. If you can dodge the worst of it, you will be rewarded with partly sunny skies and a high near 64°F this afternoon.
Most neighborhoods are expected to see only a few tenths of an inch of rain, while foothills and nearby mountains could pick up more. New rainfall amounts of a tenth to a quarter of an inch are possible locally, with valley totals forecast to reach roughly 0.25 to 0.60 inch and higher terrain seeing about 0.5 to 1.5 or more inches. Thunderstorms will be isolated to scattered but can bring brief intense downpours and small hail. Forecast and impact details come from NWS Sacramento.
Thunderstorms And Commute Impacts
Storm cells this morning and into the afternoon may quickly cut visibility and trigger localized flooding on low-lying streets, so drivers should expect slower commutes and build in extra travel time. The main hazards include heavy rain, dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning, small hail, and brief funnels or weak tornadoes in isolated cells. Wind gusts may reach roughly 25 to 35 knots, or about 30 to 40 mph, in the valley and higher elevations, raising the chance of fallen branches and isolated power outages.
Sierra Snow And Travel Alerts
While the valley deals with rain and hail, the Sierra is stacking up more late-season snow. Above about 5,000 feet, the system is expected to produce moderate to heavy mountain snow, with additional accumulations of 6 to 12 inches and up to 18 inches at the highest peaks. Snow levels could briefly drop to roughly 4,500 to 5,500 feet through Wednesday.
A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for the Sierra through Wednesday afternoon, and that means chain controls and travel delays are likely on passes such as I-80 and Highway 50. Check current restrictions at Caltrans QuickMap before you go, and be prepared for slow, slick conditions if you head into the high country.
Week Ahead
The good news for those tired of puddle-hopping: drier and sunnier weather moves in Thursday, with highs near 73°F and a warming trend into Friday. A few light mountain showers are still possible from late this week into early next week, but the valley looks much calmer. Highs should hold in the mid-60s to low-70s through the weekend, giving outdoor plans later in the week a far better shot than anything scheduled for today.
What To Do Today
For now, keep a rain jacket handy and skip standing under trees during lightning. If you see lightning or hear thunder, move indoors immediately. On the roads, slow down in heavy rain, leave extra stopping distance, and avoid driving through water that looks deeper than a shallow puddle. Anyone planning a mountain run should strongly consider postponing travel until road conditions and chain requirements are confirmed and conditions start to improve.
