Impressive rainfall totals from Northern California storm — how much did Sacramento get?
The capital region got more than its fair share of precipitation from this weekend’s winter storm, the second to rake across Northern California in less than a week.
Most areas in the southern Sacramento Valley received 1.5 inches of rain or more in the 24-hour period from midnight Saturday to midnight Sunday.
“(Saturday) we had a good amount of rain across Northern California. We’re expecting another round tonight and into tomorrow,” National Weather Service forecaster Chelsea Peters said about 4 p.m. Sunday just as another band of heavy rain packing thunderclaps moved quickly across south Sacramento County.
Sacramento’s downtown gauge, situated near Sacramento State, received 1.75 inches on Saturday, which the weather service said was the third-wettest Dec. 3 in the city’s history — the record for the date remains 2 inches set on Dec. 3, 1890, when the gauge was fixed atop the Post Office next door to City Hall. On Sunday through 3 p.m., the rain gauge recorded another .30 inches, according to the weather service.
Nearly 4 inches since Oct. 1
Totaling rainfall between Thursday and Sunday afternoon, 2.63 inches has been recorded for the city. For the water year, which started Oct. 1, the city has received 3.76 inches of rain, three-quarters of an inch more (22%) than the average.
From Saturday to Sunday afternoon, Midtown Sacramento received 1.87 inches, Executive Airport got 1.63 inches and Sacramento International Airport got 1.66 inches.
Other regional totals were impressive: Hansen Ranch Regional Park had 1.81 inches, Roseville received 1.93 inches and Folsom got 2.32 inches. Auburn had 2.49 inches of precipitation while Blue Canyon up the hill got 3.31 inches of rain in the two-day stretch.
Other spots in the Central Valley received less. Areas of the northern San Joaquin Valley — from Modesto to Stockton — received .73 to .88 inches on Saturday. Farther north, the rain was hit and miss: Redding received .2 inches while Oroville got 1.3 inches Saturday.
More snow in the Sierra
In the Sierra, the storm created more impressive totals of snowfall. Boreal and Soda Springs recorded 20 inches of snow while Kirkwood and Palisades Tahoe each accumulated 14 inches, the weather service said mid-day Sunday. According to state officials, most areas of the Tahoe Basin have nearly 3 feet of snow accumulated.
The storm is expected to bring more Valley rain and heavy mountain snow through Monday with lingering showers Monday night, the weather service said. Forecasters said cold and dry weather will return Tuesday around Sacramento with “more wet weather for late week.”
Temperatures in the Sacramento area are expected to remain in the low to mid-50s during the day with overnight lows around 42 degrees Sunday and Monday night, which could dip to 35 or lower Tuesday and Wednesday.
