More wet and windy weather for Northern California
KCRA 3 Weather meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn looks at the next round of rain, snow and wind to hit Northern California, how much to expect and how long it will last.
SO DIRK, WHERE IS THE SYSTEM NOW AND WHAT CAN WE EXPECT? WELL, THE CENTER OF IT IS STILL OFF THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA, BUT WE’VE SEEN THESE WAVES COME THROUGH. WITH EACH WAVE IT GETS STORMY. WE GET THE THUNDERSTORMS. WE GET THOSE STRONG WINDS. WE’LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT. BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT FLOW WHERE WE STILL HAVE LOTS OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THROUGH NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, THROUGH SACRAMENTO COUNTY, AND ON INTO PLACER COUNTY IS WHERE WE’RE SEEING SOME OF THAT HEAVIER THUNDERSTORMS. AND WE HAVE THE SNOW, OF COURSE, IN THE SIERRA NOW, IT CAME DOWN PRETTY GOOD ALONG I-80 OVER THE PAST HALF HOUR. LOOKS LIKE IT’S STARTING TO TAPER OFF AGAIN. EVERYTHING’S MOVING REALLY QUICK. AND SO WE GET THESE HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND THEN THEY MOVE ON. NOW THE THING THAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS AREA IS BECAUSE IT’S BEEN JUST THESE WAVES THAT CONTINUE TO STREAM THROUGH THIS REGION. SO EVEN THOUGH THESE INDIVIDUAL CELLS ARE MOVING PRETTY QUICKLY, THEY CONTINUE TO COME IN A LONG STRING. AND SO WE’RE SEEING SOME HEAVY RAIN NEAR LOOMIS RIGHT NOW. GRANITE BAY HAS BEEN GETTING THAT HEAVIER RAIN. WE’VE BEEN SEEING THIS NEAR ELK GROVE AGAIN OUT IN THE WILTON AND SHELDON AREAS. WE’RE SEEING THIS NEAR SLOUGHHOUSE. RANCHO MURIETA HAS BEEN GETTING SOME OF THAT HEAVY RAIN. GALT ALSO HAS BEEN SEEING SOME OF THAT HEAVIER RAIN. NOW WHAT CAN WE EXPECT? THIS IS THE FORECAST THAT WE HAVE THROUGH FRIDAY. WE’RE LOOKING AT AMOUNTS THAT WILL VARY FROM PLACE TO PLACE, WITH QUITE A BIT IN THROUGH THE BAY AREA, AS WELL AS LAKEPORT, AND THEN WE’RE LOOKING AT ANYWHERE FROM A 10TH OF AN INCH TO A QUARTER OF AN INCH IN MODESTO. WE COULD SEE 1500S TO A THIRD OF AN INCH AROUND STOCKTON AND HALF AN INCH TO AN INCH IN SACRAMENTO, AS WELL AS YUBA CITY. SO THAT’S KIND OF THE RANGES WE’RE LOOKING AT. AND THEN OF COURSE, MUCH MORE IN THROUGH THE SIERRA RIGHT NOW. TEMPERATURES MID TO UPPER 50 SACRAMENTO AND STOCKTON. AUBURN 48 DEGREES LAKE TAHOE SITTING AT THE FREEZING MARK. SO YOU KNOW, THE SNOW AT THAT ELEVATION, IT’S GOING TO BE COMING DOWN, BUT IT’S GOING TO BE KIND OF A HEAVIER SNOW. IT’S JUST RIGHT THERE ON THE BORDER LINE WITH TEMPERATURES AROUND FREEZING WINDS. NOW HERE’S THE STORY WITH THE WINDS. SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE STILL WITH US. THEY HAVE BEEN WITH US. AND RIGHT NOW WE’RE SEEING THE STRONGEST WINDS IN STOCKTON AT 26MPH. THAT’S A SUSTAINED WIND. THAT’S A NOTICEABLE WIND GUSTING UP TO 35MPH. WE HAVE WIND GUSTS IN PLACERVILLE OF 33 LAKE TAHOE 20 MILE AN HOUR WIND GUSTS MODESTO 29 IN SAN FRANCISCO, 25 MILE AN HOUR WIND GUSTS. SO HERE’S THE WIND GUST FORECAST AS WE GO THROUGH JUST THE NEXT FEW HOURS. WE’RE GOING TO NOTICE THOSE WINDS ON THE INCREASE AS THIS NEXT WAVE COMES THROUGH. SO WE’RE LOOKING AT WIND GUSTING BETWEEN 30 TO 40MPH IS WHAT WE’RE GOING TO BE SEEING NOW. WE WILL SEE SOME AREAS WHERE THOSE WINDS ARE GOING TO BE A BIT STRONGER THAN THAT. WE’LL SEE THAT ESPECIALLY IT LOOKS LIKE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE VALLEY AND OVER THE CREST AND ON THE EAST SLOPE OF THE SIERRAS, WE COULD SEE WIND SPEEDS THAT COULD BE RANGING MORE IN THE 40 TO 50 MILE AN HOUR KIND OF RANGE OR LEVEL THERE. AND WE’RE LOOKING AT THOSE WINDS STAYING WITH US, BUT THEN TAPERING OFF AS WE GET INTO THE EVENING HOURS TONIGHT. HERE WE ARE, 11:00 TONIGHT. AND THEN WE GET INTO TOMORROW AND WINDS BY TOMORROW MORNING SHOULD BE MUCH LIGHTER, BUT WE STILL ARE EXPECTING GUSTS UPWARDS OF 15 TO OVER 20MPH. SO THE WINDS ARE GOING TO BE INCREASING AS THIS MOVES THROUGH. THAT’S THAT WAVE. YOU CAN SEE HOW FAST THAT’S MOVING ALONG GOING FROM HERE TO THE COAST. AND THEN WE’RE GOING TO SEE THAT RAIN REALLY PICK UP. AND AGAIN MORE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. THIS AREA OR THE CORE, THE CENTER OF THIS WEATHER SYSTEM IS GOING TO SLIDE FARTHER SOUTH AND THEN MOVE ACROSS THE STATE AS WE GO INTO THE WEEKEND. AND THEN THINGS ARE GOING TO DRY OUT. WE GET ON THE BACKSIDE OF THIS. WE GET THAT NORTHERLY FLOW, AND WE’RE EVEN GOING TO GET SOME SUNSHINE. IT LOOKS LIKE BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. WE’RE LOOKING PRETTY GOOD ON INTO SUNDAY AFTERNOON AS WELL. HIGH PRESSURE MOVES IN AND WE SEE A LITTLE SHIFTING OF THE WINDS, BUT DRY CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK. BUT THEN SOME CHANGES. IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE SOME MOISTURE COMING UP FROM THE SOUTH. AND AGAIN, IF IT’S COMING FROM THE SOUTH IT’S GOING TO BE WARM, UNFORTUNATELY, AGAIN, SNOW LEVELS ARE RUNNING REALLY HIGH. SO WHAT AREAS THEY GET, SOME SNOW ARE GOING TO BE BATTLING WITH A LITTLE BIT OF RAIN. SO HERE’S YOUR FRIDAY FORECAST. TEMPERATURES IN THE 50S IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT COOLER TOMORROW. NOT AS MUCH RAIN. WE ARE EXPECTING THOSE DRIER CONDITIONS FOR THE WEEKE
More wet and windy weather for Northern California
KCRA 3 Weather meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn looks at the next round of rain, snow and wind to hit Northern California, how much to expect and how long it will last.
Updated: 8:32 PM PST Dec 25, 2025
Heavy overnight rain, wind and Sierra snow will taper into Friday morning across Northern California. Showers will continue on and off throughout the day Friday but amounts will be light. There will continue to be a slight threat for isolated t-storms. Snow levels will range between 4000 to 4500 ft with scattered snow showers. Skies will dry by Saturday with some sunshine possible by afternoon. Sunday morning may start with some patchy fog then partly cloudy skies and afternoon temps in the 50s. Skies should stay dry through Wednesday.
Heavy overnight rain, wind and Sierra snow will taper into Friday morning across Northern California. Showers will continue on and off throughout the day Friday but amounts will be light. There will continue to be a slight threat for isolated t-storms. Snow levels will range between 4000 to 4500 ft with scattered snow showers. Skies will dry by Saturday with some sunshine possible by afternoon. Sunday morning may start with some patchy fog then partly cloudy skies and afternoon temps in the 50s. Skies should stay dry through Wednesday.