A Rain of Gold for California
According to the National Weather Service and the United States Department of Agriculture, much of California continues to experience abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions as of early February.
Some rain is gracing the Golden State today, which is experiencing abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions.
With storms a rarity this winter, a system paralleling the coast is bringing a rainy day to coastal and some inland areas of California.
As Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski pointed out most of the rain will be concentrated along the coast, where a few places may receive over an inch.
A thorough soaking will reach as far south as San Diego and into Baja California, Mexico, as the day progresses. However, a bit of rain will fall over the San Joaquin Valley into the evening, where up to a few tenths of an inch is in store.
Most desert areas will barely have enough rain to settle the dust, but there can be a few exceptions.
As with most rain in California, and especially since it is so infrequent this year, motorists should allow extra stopping distance and use caution when cornering at intersections. Enough rain will fall to cause isolated incidents of urban flooding.
Since the storm is moving southeastward, rather than pushing substantially inland, the Sierra Nevada will more or less constitute the eastward extent of the precipitation with up to a few inches of snow over some of the southwest facing ridges. There may be enough snow to make for slushy spots over Donner Pass.
The rain will end from northwest to southeast across California during the afternoon and evening hours. The rain should taper to spotty showers during the evening rush around San Francisco and Sacramento but will continue through the evening rush in Los Angeles and San Diego.
Rain and not snow will fall over Tejon and Cajon passes. However, fog could substantially reduce the visibility for a time.
The storm will grow stronger and will unload more substantial rain and mountain snow over central Mexico during the end of the week.
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Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 100° | Smyrna, TN |
| Low | 15° | Sunset Crater, AZ |
| Precip | 3.99" | Wadena, MN |
WeatherWhys®
Hail is much more common during the months of May and June compared to July and August. The main reason is the fact that the freezing level is usually higher during July and August as pockets of cold air in the upper atmosphere are less common as the jet stream weakens and retreats farther north.
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