Keep umbrellas handy, Northern California, it’s going to be a wet weekend
A pedestrian totes a child and an umbrella walking in an El Niño storm in downtown Riverside.
Northern California residents should keep umbrellas on hand this weekend, because it’s gearing up to be a wet one.
From late Friday afternoon through early Monday morning, the lowest amounts of rain projected are half-an-inch over the northern San Joaquin Valley, the Sacramento National Weather Service said.
“But much heavier amounts as you head north,†said Craig Shoemaker, an NWS meteorologist. “We are expecting quite a bit of rain with this system coming up.â€
Temperatures in the valley area will be in the 50s.
In Sacramento the total is expected to be 1 1/4 inches, and Redding could get as much as 3 to 3.5 inches, Shoemaker said. Heavier amounts are expected over the mountains.
Rainfall for the mountains could total 2 to 5 inches this weekend, and in some places it will fall as a mix of rain and snow, Shoemaker said.
Snow levels will start off Friday evening from 5,000 to 5,500 feet and will rise Saturday up to around 7,000 feet at Donner Pass and higher. Meteorologists are looking at anywhere from 6 to 12 inches of snow above 6,500 feet for the whole weekend, Shoemaker said.
Several storm systems are anticipated this week, Shoemaker said. The heaviest precipitation is projected to be Sunday afternoon and evening. Next week, another system will be tracking in on Tuesday afternoon, with a little break late Tuesday night.
Another storm system will roll in on Wednesday.
“It could be a pretty strong system,†Shoemaker said.
Follow me on Twitter @brittny_mejia
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