SACRAMENTO, Calif —
An unseasonably cool couple of days are on tap for Northern California, along with some late season rain showers and high elevation snow.
Temperatures this weekend will be much cooler than they were last weekend and Monday before low pressure was reintroduced to the region. On Monday, Downtown Sacramento hit 89 degrees and the high Tuesday was 20 degrees cooler, maxing out at 69 degrees.
The cooler temperatures have stuck around through this work week and that will be the case Thursday and Friday thanks to another wave of low pressure. Both Thursday and Friday will see high temperatures rise only to around 70, which is six degrees below normal in Sacramento.
Scattered showers are expected in the valley beginning late Thursday night, mainly north of the Sacramento metro. Friday afternoon will represent the best chances for showers in the Sacramento area.
Thunderstorms are possible Friday with the highest chances in the afternoon and evening. Most activity will be in the foothills and mountains, but a few cells are possible in the valley thanks to the presence of unstable air.
The Storm Prediction Center outlines most of the eastern half of California in the general thunderstorm area, while severe thunderstorms are expected in the center of the country the next few days.
Rain totals will be light with this system. Some areas, particularly west of Interstate 5, will be completely dry. The best chances of rain are in the Northern Sacramento Valley, the foothills and the mountains.
This storm system will produce some light snow and snow levels will initially be in the 7,000-8,000 foot range before dropping to 5,500-6,500 feet Friday. Most areas will only see a dusting to a few inches through Friday night, so this will be a low impact event.
Temperatures will return to near normal levels for the weekend. Valley highs will be in the mid to upper 70s, the foothills will be in the 60s to around 70, and the mountains will be in the upper 50s to lower 60s.
Looking further ahead, the Climate Prediction Center favors cooler and wetter conditions for Northern California for both the 6-10 and 8-14 day outlooks released Thursday.