Over the past week, Northern California got a big dose of moisture. From heavy rain, scattered thunderstorms, and snow in the Sierra, the pattern was unstable. But how has this wet weather helped us so far this month and season?
Rainfall
The recent storms have been good for our area so far this year. Especially since 2023 ended on a drier period.
Looking to D.C., Sacramento has seen a good round of storms so far this month.
The best rain we've received so far came last weekend (Jan. 19-22) with a four-day total of 1.54 inches.
Overall, our month is still 0.07 inch behind normal.
Considering our water year, from October 1, 2023 to now, this too is still lagging.
As of Tuesday, Sacramento had seen 7.94 inches of water this water year so far. In a normal year, we typically receive over 9 inches of moisture in mid-January.
As we know, all years can be different, and last year was the exception. Water Year 2022 received 18.22 inches of moisture from several atmospheric rivers last winter.
However, not all cities are behind this month.
San Francisco, San Jose, Modesto, Stockton and South Lake Tahoe have rates above normal this month. Modesto, in particular, is two inches above normal, thanks to the latest round of storms. This now puts the city at nearly 4 inches of rain this month.
These numbers are from the National Weather Service's official climate websites, which record 30-year climate data since the 1800s.
Ice bag
Our snowpack has been lagging so far this year, as most of the storms we've seen have been warmer. This force forces snow levels to rise above 6,000-6,500 feet.
This means that in areas below 6,000 feet, precipitation falls mainly.
As of Wednesday, statewide snowpack was 54% of normal.
We have made gains this year. On December 31, snowpack was measured at just 26% of average for that time of year, with 2.5 inches of average snow water equivalent.
In January 2023, California's snowpack was measured at 240% of the historical average. However, last year's storms were an anomaly.
The change we need to see before the rainy season (December, January and February) ends is cold storms to help build snowpack to help us through the warmer seasons.
More rain next week?
Our weather pattern changes at the end of January to early February.
This pattern supports a strong atmospheric fluvial configuration, with a more zonal trans-Pacific jet stream and a storm track favoring California.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration climate forecast models have noted this trend and placed most of the West and Southwest in the above-average category for precipitation.
There are still a lot of details to sort out as we get closer and models may change, but this is a good indicator that more wet weather is likely.
Make sure to stay with the CBS Sacramento First Alert Weather team for the latest updates.
