NorCal forecast: Wet and windy Thursday

THE SOGGINESS OVER THE AREA. I ENCOUNTERED A LITTLE RAIN ON THE WAY IN, AND HERE’S METEOROLOGIST TAMARA BERG TO TIME IT ALL OUT FOR US. YEAH, THERE’S DEFINITELY SOME SHEEN ON SOME OF OUR LOCAL ROADWAYS OUT THERE. AND ALSO BRIAN, CHECK OUT THIS CAMERA. IT IS JUST ROCKING AROUND. THIS IS ACTUALLY THE SUTTER BUTTE SKY CAMERA. A LOT OF CLOUDS ON OCCASION. THERE WE GO. THERE’S A RAINDROP THAT’S KIND OF GETTING DRAGGED ACROSS THE LENS THIS MORNING. BUT YEAH, THE BIG VISUAL THERE FOR THE NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY IS THAT BREEZE RIGHT NOW IN SACRAMENTO VALLEY. WE’RE IN THE LOWER 60S ALONG WITH THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND THE FOOTHILLS. A LOT OF CLOUD COVER, OVERCAST SKIES, OCCASIONAL SHOWERS, SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS RIGHT NOW SUSTAINED AT 16 IN THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY, UP TO 14 IN THE FOOTHILLS. AND WINDS PUSHING SUSTAINED THERE OVER 20MPH IN THE SIERRA. WATCHING THE RAIN AGAIN WORK ITS WAY ACROSS THE VALLEY. WE’RE NOT EVEN INTO THE BEST OF IT JUST YET. RIGHT NOW, MOST OF THE ACTIVITY HAS BEEN WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS. I’VE ALSO BEEN TRACKING A COUPLE OF ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE JOINING US IN TUOLUMNE COUNTY OR ON THE EASTERN HALF OF STANISLAUS COUNTY. MOST OF THE SCREEN HERE WE’RE SEEING, ESPECIALLY ALONG INTERSTATE 80 OR HIGHWAY 50, IT HAS ALL BEEN, AGAIN, VERY LIGHT, KIND OF MANAGEABLE RAIN TO DRIVE THROUGH. BUT OF COURSE, IT GENERATES A WET TRACK OUT THERE ON THE ROADS ALONG I-5 AND 99. YOU’VE ALSO BEEN SEEING SOME LIGHT RAIN. AND THEN HERE WE GET RIGHT INTO PARTS OF CALAVERAS AND TUOLUMNE COUNTIES. AND THIS IS WHERE THUNDERSTORM JUST MOVED THROUGH THE SONORA. SO IF YOU’RE A LIGHT SLEEPER, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THE CLAPS OF THUNDER OR SEEN THE FLICKER OF LIGHTNING. ANGELS CAMP, MURPHY’S AND ARNOLD HERE ALONG HIGHWAY FOUR. ALSO HIGHWAY 108. YOU’VE BEEN GETTING A PRETTY GOOD SOAKING RAINFALL FROM THOSE STORMS FIRING UP THIS MORNING. THE BIG PICTURE VIEW. WE’VE GOT A FRONT THAT’S GOING TO DRAG THROUGH THE AREA AS IT DOES. SO I ANTICIPATE THAT THE HOURS OF 7 A.M., 8 A.M. AND 9 A.M., WE’RE GOING TO BE SEEING SOME PRETTY GOOD RETURNS ON THE RAINFALL. AND OF COURSE, THAT COULD LEAD TO SOME ISSUES WITH THE MORNING COMMUTE IN THE VALLEY. TODAY, I EXPECT BETWEEN 1 TO 2IN OF RAINFALL THAT WILL HAVE A BIT OF A HEAVIER IMPACT. OUR HIGHER IMPACT, ESPECIALLY IN THE FOOTHILLS. WE’LL SEE TWO INCHES PLUS WINDS, A MODERATE IMPACT, 35 TO 40 MILE PER HOUR GUSTS EXPECTED IN THE VALLEY. SNOWFALL FOR TODAY IS PRIMARILY GOING TO STAY REALLY EVEN ABOVE 7000, CLOSER TO 8000FT AND FLOODING, IF WE GET ANY, WILL BE A MODERATE IMPACT. AND IT’S GOING TO BE HIGHLY LOCALIZED BY WAY OF STANDING WATER OR PONDING AND POOLING ON SOME OF THOSE ROADWAYS. THIS IS 7:00 ON FUTURECAST, AND HERE WE GET INTO SOME MORE MODERATE RAIN THERE FROM THE COAST AND THEN SWEEPING INTO THE VALLEY. AND LOOK AT THIS. EVEN BY LUNCHTIME IT’S STILL RAINING UP AND DOWN THE VALLEY AND WE’RE SEEING SOME HEAVIER RAINFALL, ESPECIALLY LATE IN THE AFTERNOON, THAT WE GO ALONG THE FOOTHILLS AND RIGHT DOWN HERE DRAPED ALONG THE WEST SLOPE. AND THEN HERE COMES SOME SNOW IN THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. BUT IT’S NOT GOING TO AMOUNT A WHOLE LOT. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY TRAVEL PLANS IN THE MOUNTAINS TODAY, IT’S JUST GOING TO BE WET AND WINDY WITH PERIODS OF GOOD, STEADY RAINFALL IN AREAS LIKE TRUCKEE AND TAHOE. BY 4:00 FRIDAY AFTERNOON MAY SEE A COUPLE OF SHOWERS, SWEEP IN AND SNEAK THROUGH THE AREA. I’M JUST NOT EXPECTING A LOT OF ACCUMULATION. AND THEN ONCE WE GET INTO SATURDAY MORNING, HERE WE GO WITH A COUPLE OF BANDS OF SHOWERS, ESPECIALLY ALONG THE BAY. I THINK A LOT OF THE VALLEY IS GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF DRY TIME DURING THE DAY ON SATURDAY, AND THEN LOOKING AHEAD TO SUNDAY, ANOTHER SHOT AT MORE SHOWERS AND WE COULD SEE PERIODS OF SHOWERS, BRIAN, EVEN EXTENDING INTO THE START OF THE NEXT WORKWEEK INTO MONDAY. OTHER TAKEAWAY BRIAN YESTERDAY’S HIGH WAS 69 DEGREES, SO WE GOT CLOSE TO 70. LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. WE’RE GOING TO JUST BE SEEING 60S FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. SO MAYBE A GOOD WEEKEND TO GET OUT THE WINTER WARDROBE. AND OF COURSE JUST MAKE SURE THINGS ARE OPERATIONAL, LIKE YOUR WINDSHIELD WIPERS. WE JUST REPLACED MY HUSBAND’S. THEY WERE IN BAD SHAPE, YOU KNOW, AND JUST GET READY FOR THE TRAVEL. ON THE WAY IN. SO WHEN THEY STUTTER LIK