As temperatures cool and the atmospheric pressure falls, Northern California and the Sacramento Valley is set for a splash of what will become increasingly familiar in a few months time — rain.
A trough of lower pressure draped across the western United States is continuing to deepen, prompting temperatures to lower one day after the next. As this occurs, there comes a point where the atmosphere cannot physically hold all the moisture it could before. The result is not just clouds, but a swath of showers moving in across the Pacific Northwest and Northern California.
These showers will arrive to the northern Coast Ranges on Wednesday morning, with rain growing more widespread by the afternoon across the Klamath Mountains and into the northern reaches of the Sacramento Valley by Wednesday evening. Some of these showers could be more than just a light drizzle, with a few thunderstorms in the mix Wednesday afternoon and at elevation.
For Sacramento, the northern Sierra, and the lower Sacramento Valley, most of the showers will arrive Wednesday night and early Thursday — although they are expected to be weaker and more scattered. Sacramento in particular would see only sparse raindrops in between more cloudy skies.
By the time Thursday wraps up, much of Northern California along the Coastal and Klamath ranges should expect at least a quarter inch, with lesser amounts in the Sacramento Valley.
Rain showers bring cooler temps, frost in far northern CA
If September has you ready for pumpkin spice and fall leaves, then you might enjoy what these rain showers are ushering in — some surprisingly cool temps…