Rain, Snow Expected To Hit Wednesday In First Of Series Of Storms
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Many Sacramento residents were scrambling to clean up leaves and other yard debris Tuesday as a much-needed storm system closes in on the region.
The first in a long series of storms will begin to impact parts of valley Wednesday night. With the cold air lingering, snow levels could drop as low as 500 feet in the Redding area.
The rain will be the first in Sacramento since Dec. 15, when just .07 of an inch fell.
"We certainly need the rain," said chief hydrologist Maury Roos, who said the first half of winter has been one of the driest he's seen.
The second weather system will move through the area Thursday and should cover a larger area of Northern California. Snow levels should be on the rise with this storm and successive storms as the lower level cold air is scoured out.
A third system is on track for a Friday arrival. This storm currently looks like the most potent. This storm should bring about a round of breezy, south winds along with possibly moderate rainfall.
With the Sierra snowpack at only 2 inches, state hydrologists say time is running out to get enough snow and rain to make up for what's been an extra dry winter so far.
To put things into perspective, they say at this point of the season, the snowpack should be around 15 inches.
Things are not much better in the valley, where only 2.66 inches of rain have fallen since July. That number close to the record low.
There is one bright spot. State reservoirs are still 15 percent above normal because of heavy rain and snow last season.
Watch Dave Bender's 5 p.m. forecast:
