Simulated radar for Wednesday afternoon shows a line of showers and storms along the Sierra foothills of the Central Valley, with occasional showers in places such as Sacramento and Fresno.<\/p>\n
The Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n
As we swing into the cooler months of the year, get used to more days like Wednesday and Thursday, with scattered showers across California and cloudy skies.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, an area of cooler low pressure \u2014 an extratropical cyclone \u2014 is spinning out off the coast of the Golden State. As it churns, it brings with it scattered rain showers moving out of the south Wednesday through Thursday across nearly the entire state. For Sacramento and Fresno, it will be the first good rain \u2014 not a trace amount \u2014 since late spring.<\/p>\n
A maturing extratropical cyclone of low pressure will spin out across California through Thursday night, bringing widespread showers and cooler temperatures. The Sacramento Bee <\/p>\n
Click to resize<\/p>\n
Because of how the cyclone is maturing off the coast, many of these showers will stack up and \u201ctrain\u201d across thin bands, leaving some cities and towns with little rain and others with substantial amounts.<\/p>\n
Earlier Wednesday, a string of showers and thunderstorms dropped upwards of half an inch of rain between Clovis and Sanger while Fresno remained mostly dry.<\/p>\n
Into Wednesday afternoon, Fresno and the San Joaquin Valley were seeing lighter, more widespread showers take hold for several hours at a time. Another half in to inch of rain are expected across the southern San Joaquin Valley, and especially the Sierra foothills, through Thursday. Slightly lower amounts, a quarter to half an inch, near Modesto will be notable after being dry for months.<\/p>\n
A line of thunderstorms late Wednesday morning dropped substantial rainfall in areas near Fresno outside of the city center, a pattern that will be common across Central California through the day. The Sacramento Bee <\/p>\n
In Sacramento, the window for sustained showers will be Wednesday afternoon through the evening. By noon Wednesday, a line of showers and thunderstorms was continuing to the north and northwest, with several brief showers having fallen over the area.<\/p>\n
More scattered showers, some on the heavier side at times with occasional rumbles of thunder, were beginning in the Sacramento region around 2 p.m. and were expected to linger into the early evening hours. There will be breaks in the rain, but showers will continue on and off into the early Thursday. Heavier rainfall amounts are expected closer to the foothills in areas such as Roseville and Folsom.<\/p>\n
Through Wednesday, most areas near Sacramento can expect up to 0.2 inches of rain, with amounts reaching up to half an inch closer to the foothills.<\/p>\n
Showers will continue across Central California on and off through Thursday. SEAN MACADAY sean.macaday@sacbee.com<\/p>\n
Thursday rain flips direction<\/p>\n
As the cyclone moves over land Thursday, showers that were moving out of the south will flip and begin crashing in out of the north, this time with less energy and moisture to keep rainfall sustained for long.<\/p>\n
That will generally make Thursday an easier day for outdoor activities or plans despite slightly cooler temperatures, as any rain shower that does kick up will be shorter and lighter than Wednesday’s showers.<\/p>\n
Forecast rainfall through Thursday shows widespread rain across Central California, with higher amounts in the Sierra and southern San Joaquin Valley. The Sacramento Bee <\/p>\n
Further up the mountains, several inches of snow are expected to begin stacking up across the Sierra above 8,000 feet, with the highest amounts between 3 to 6 inches.<\/p>\n
As temperatures continue to cool into the coming months, setups similar to this will become increasingly common as cool air from the north mixes with warm air from the south. And with El Ni\u00f1o<\/a> providing extra fuel for showers, days like this will become the seasonal normal soon.<\/p>\n
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