Atmospheric river to bring rain, snow to Northern California

Monday will bring cooler-than-seasonable temperatures to Northern California, with upper elevations still experiencing snowy conditions.Meteorologist Tamara Berg said Monday’s forecast high for downtown Sacramento is 59 degrees, a dip from 63 degrees recorded Sunday. The average for this time of year is 64 degrees.Expected high temperatures for the Foothills are in the low 50s, and the Sierra highs could reach the mid-50s. The Sierra is likely to see lingering snow flurries in the morning.Northern California freeze warningBerg said a freeze warning will start at 10 p.m. Monday through 10 a.m. Tuesday. Elevations below 2,000 feet including parts of the San Joaquin Valley will see low temperatures from 30-36 degrees with frost possible in the morning.Elevations above 6,000 feet will be under a cold weather advisory. Some parts of the Sierra could get into single-digit temperatures.When temperatures get this low, Meteorologist Kelly Curran said there are four things to keep in mind: people, pets, plants and pipes. Check on vulnerable neighbors and see if their heat is working. Keep pets inside and if possible, move livestock into a barn and provide a heat source. Also, ensure they have access to drinking water that is not frozen. Cover up sensitive plants or bring them inside.Lastly, wrap up any exposed pipes to reduce the chances of a pipe bursting.Northern California atmospheric riverThe first atmospheric river event of the water year is forecast to bring heavy rain and mountain snow to the West Coast this week. This will likely impact parts of Northern California starting on Wednesday.| RELATED READ | What is an atmospheric river? A pineapple express?The KCRA 3 weather team has made Wednesday and Friday weather Impact Days because of the expected rainfall this week.The first round of widespread rain is expected to start during the second half of Wednesday. There will likely be a large range of rainfall amounts from north to south. Areas south of Sacramento may see very little rain accumulate. Rainfall amounts in the Sacramento metro area will be manageable, around a quarter-inch to a half-inch.Counties in the northern Sacramento Valley could see 2 to 3 inches of rain. This could lead to localized street and small stream flooding. California’s North Coast will see the highest rainfall totals with more than 6 inches possible by Wednesday night. Thursday will be a quieter day with scattered showers possible.Another round of rain is in the forecast for Friday. This rain has the potential to be heavy for a larger portion of the Valley. The KCRA 3 weather team will be closely following the latest model data this week. Check back frequently for updates.TRACK INTERACTIVE, DOPPLER RADARClick here to see our interactive radar.DOWNLOAD OUR APP FOR THE LATESTHere is where you can download our app.Follow our KCRA weather team on social mediaMeteorologist Tamara Berg on Facebook and X.Meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn on FacebookMeteorologist/Climate Reporter Heather Waldman on Facebook and X.Meteorologist Kelly Curran on X.Watch our forecasts on TV or onlineHere’s where to find our latest video forecast. You can also watch a livestream of our latest newscast here. The banner on our website turns red when we’re live.We’re also streaming on the Very Local app for Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter