An atmospheric river will bring rain to Northern California. Will Sacramento see any?

Autumn has officially arrived in Sacramento and so has the rain in the five-day forecast.

An atmospheric river is expected to bring precipitation and high wind to Northern California beginning Sunday.

This will bring gusty winds of up to 30 miles per hour in the northern Sacramento Valley, said Sara Purdue, a National Weather Service meteorologist, and areas in the Southern Cascades and the Sierra may see higher wind speeds.

While rain may move in with winds overnight Sunday, the bulk of the storm is expected Monday into Tuesday.

How much rain can we expect in Sacramento?

Rainy conditions in Sacramento are unlikely to spoil your outdoor plans.

“The Sacramento area should see little, if any rain,” Purdue said.

“We’re kind of at the very border of where rain might be occurring, so we shouldn’t see very much if anyway.”

Most of the rain will remain in the northwest part of California — including Del Norte, Humboldt and Siskiyou counties. There is a 67% chance Redding could see more than an inch of rain over Monday and Tuesday, Purdue said.

Rain forecast for Northern California for Sept. 23 through Sept. 25.
Rain forecast for Northern California for Sept. 23 through Sept. 25.

What is an atmospheric river?

The American Meteorologist Society defines an atmospheric river as a “long, narrow, and transient corridor of strong horizontal water vapor transports that is typically associated with a low-level jet stream ahead of the cold front of an extra-tropical cyclone.”

Sacramento weekend weather forecast

Temperatures over the weekend will be below normal for this time of year, Purdue said.

Highs will reach 79 degrees with lows dipping into the mid 50s, according to the weather service five-day forecast.

Motorists should drive cautiously over the weekend, as conditions may be difficult with gusty winds approaching, according to a Friday post from the weather service on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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