After taking center stage and shining brightly last week, the warmer springtime weather is heading backstage once again today as wet weather makes its return to the Sacramento area and into the foothills. While the wet weather may put a damper on some outdoor activities Friday and Saturday, the most recent forecast shows partly sunny skies for Easter Sunday.
Cloudy skies hovered over the area Friday morning as rain is expected later in the day. According to the Sacramento County office of the National Weather Service, showers are expected to pick up in the area mainly after 3 p.m. on Good Friday.
Friday’s high is expected to be near 52 with breezy conditions, with a south-southeast wind from 5 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 38 mph, prompting a wind advisory that has been issued into Friday night. Friday night will see an 80 percent chance of precipitation with the steadiest rains expected before 10 p.m. Rainfall amounts are estimated to be between a tenth and a quarter inch.
Saturday brings a chance of showers in the morning ranging from 24% to 36% between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. The lower percentages align with the schedule of Folsom’s Festival of Eggs at Lembi Park, which wraps up at noon when the chance of rain increases to 70% into the afternoon. There is a chance of thunderstorms Saturday night before shower activity tapers off in the early morning hours.
On Easter Sunday, partly cloudy skies are forecasted during the day with breezy conditions and a 24% chance of scattered showers before skies clear by nightfall. Monday brings a return to warmer weather with temperatures rising to 73 degrees and climbing as high as 75 degrees by Tuesday.
Those expecting to travel to the mountains for the holiday weekend can expect weather-related impacts at times at the higher elevations. According to the National Weather Service, snow levels look to remain persistent, around 3500 to 4500 feet today into Saturday, before rising to 4500 to 5500 feet Saturday evening into Sunday morning.
“As a result, the heaviest accumulating snowfall is expected above 5000 feet, with still some accumulations down to 4000,” the local National Weather Service office reports. “While overly heavy snowfall rates are not anticipated, prolonged periods of moderate snow, with snowfall rates up to 1 inch per hour at times, are expected.”
Snow accumulations of 4 to 8 inches are expected between 4000 and 5000 feet, with 8 to 20 inches above 5000 feet, and up to 30 inches at the highest peaks. Those planning to head to the hills should go prepared and carry chains and any supplies for unexpected traffic delays.
Photo illustration by Megan Hoffman Davis