Northern California forecast: Showers arrive Monday ahead of Tuesday storm

Northern California forecast: Showers arrive Monday ahead of Tuesday storm

Scattered showers are already impacting the California coastline and will move eastward throughout the day. Tuesday is an Impact Day because of thunderstorm chances and Sierra snow.

AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION, WE WILL BRING IT TO YOU. IN THE MEANTIME, BRINGING IT BACK HOME. NOW, LET’S GET A CHECK ON OUR FORECAST AS WE TAKE A LIVE LOOK HERE AT THE STOCKTON WATERFRONT. HERE’S METEOROLOGIST TAMARA BERG AND THINGS WILL BE UNDERGOING SOME QUICK CHANGES, ESPECIALLY AS WE GET INTO REALLY THE MIDDLE PART OF TODAY AND INTO THE BACK HALF. HERE’S A LIVE LOOK OUTSIDE IN RANCHO CORDOVA. THE CLOUDS ARE STARTING TO SWEEP IN. TEMPERATURES ARE STILL COOL ENOUGH THAT YOU’LL WANT TO GRAB A LAYER BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT THE DOOR. IT’S IN THE LOW 50S RIGHT NOW. SACRAMENTO, STOCKTON AND MODESTO 36. WAKING UP IN SOUTH LAKE TAHOE AND ON THE RADAR SWEEP FAIRLY QUIET FOR THE MORNING START. YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE SOME SHOWERS BUDDING HERE RIGHT ALONG THE COAST. AND IF YOU ARE A SUPER COMMUTER TRAVELING TOWARDS THE BAY AREA, I THINK THAT AS WE GET CLOSER TO DAYBREAK, THERE’S A GOOD CHANCE THAT YOU MAY GET INTO SOME OF THOSE SHOWERS, BUT BETTER CHANCE WE HAVE SOME MORE WIDESPREAD RAIN FIRST THING TOMORROW MORNING. TOMORROW IS A TUESDAY WEATHER IMPACT DAY FOR STEADY ROUNDS OF RAIN OVERNIGHT INTO THE MORNING COMMUTE. SO THE MORNING COMMUTE TOMORROW IS GOING TO LOOK A LOT DIFFERENT. WE’LL HAVE WET ROAD CONDITIONS AND POTENTIAL FOR SOME STANDING WATER ON THE HIGHWAYS. FIRST THING TOMORROW. SNOW IS ALSO GOING TO BE COMING DOWN AROUND 6000FT, PRIMARILY DURING THE DAY TOMORROW, WITH THE HEAVIEST SLATED FOR THE MORNING AND INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS. SO CHAIN CONTROLS A STRONG POSSIBILITY. AND THEN THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE LIGHTING UP THE AFTERNOON SKY TOMORROW WITH BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS, LIGHTNING, SMALL HAIL. SOME OF THESE STORMS ALSO COULD TURN SEVERE. SO WHAT I’M LOOKING AT IS THIS THE FRONT WAVE OF THE SYSTEM. YOU CAN SEE THIS BIG PIECE OF ENERGY JUST PINWHEELING HERE. BOWLING BALL OF ENERGY, EVEN SOME LIGHTNING STRIKES HERE OUT OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN THIS MORNING. AS THAT GETS CLOSER TO US AGAIN, IT’S GOING TO PROMPT SOME INSTABILITY, ESPECIALLY DURING THE DAY TOMORROW. AND THAT’S WHEN WE COULD SEE THE BEST SHOT AT THESE THUNDERSTORMS ALL ACROSS THE ENTIRE CENTRAL VALLEY, PARTS OF THE FOOTHILLS DELTA, AS WELL AS THE BAY AREA. AND I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF WE EVEN SEE A COUPLE OF FUNNEL CLOUDS DURING THE DAY TOMORROW. LET’S FRAME UP FUTURECAST NOW GO THROUGH THE TIMING OF THE RAIN AND THE SNOW. THIS IS 8:00 TOMORROW MORNING. EXCUSE ME, 8:00 THIS MORNING. AND AGAIN, THE CLOUDS ARE JUST INCHING IN. IF YOU’RE JOINING US IN THE FOOTHILLS, YOU’RE PROBABLY GOING TO SEE AMPLE SUNSHINE THIS MORNING. NO CLOUDS YET. BUT THEN LOOK AT THE RAIN HERE. JUST KIND OF STUCK IN POSITION OFF THE COAST AND ALONG THE COAST RANGE. DURING A GOOD CHUNK OF THE MORNING, WE GET INTO THE MID DAY AND AFTERNOON, WE MAY GET A BRIEF SHOWER, BUT THE BETTER RAIN IS GOING TO HOLD OFF UNTIL AFTER THE SUN GOES DOWN TONIGHT. AND THEN WE WAKE UP TO YOUR TUESDAY MORNING. AND HERE’S WHERE YOU CAN START TO SEE WHERE WE MAY HAVE SOME WET ROAD CONDITION ISSUES IN TERMS OF STANDING WATER AND WHATNOT. AS THOSE SHOWERS CONTINUE TO COME. PRETTY NICE AND MODERATE AT TIMES. WE GET INTO THE TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THAT’S WHERE WE COULD START TO SEE SOME OF THOSE THUNDERSTORM CELLS BUBBLE UP. STOCKTON MODESTO COULD BE IN THE HOT SEAT FOR THE AFTERNOON TOMORROW, AND THEN THE COLDER AIR GETS REINFORCED DURING THE AFTERNOON. THAT’S WHERE WE COULD SEE SOME GOOD SNOWFALL AND INTO THE START OF YOUR WEDNESDAY MORNING IN THE MOUNTAINS, YOU COULD SEE 12IN OF NEW SNOW ABOVE 7000FT. SO OF COURSE THAT WILL CREATE SOME TRAVEL TROUBLES THERE FOR THE SIERRA, ESPECIALLY IF YOU DON’T HAVE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO NEED THOSE CHAINS PROBABLY FIRST THING TOMORROW TO DRIVE IN THE HIGH COUNTRY. A COUPLE OF THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE TUESDAY, MAKING IT AGAIN A GOOD IMPACT DAY. WEDNESDAY, A FEW LEFTOVER SHOWERS. AND THEN WE DO START TO SEE SOME CLEARING WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND INTO THE REST OF THE WORKWEEK. SO GETTING THROUGH THIS LITTLE BLIP. BUT IT’S ALWAYS GOOD. I THINK WE CAN ALWAYS USE THE RAIN, ESPECIALLY THIS TIME OF YEAR. AND T

Northern California forecast: Showers arrive Monday ahead of Tuesday storm

Scattered showers are already impacting the California coastline and will move eastward throughout the day. Tuesday is an Impact Day because of thunderstorm chances and Sierra snow.

Updated: 6:18 PM PDT Apr 20, 2026

Editorial Standards ⓘ

Expect a quiet Monday morning under scattered clouds and light winds for most in Northern California.

A few showers are possible late morning west of Sacramento, closer to Fairfield. Monday will be a partly cloudy day ahead of slightly cooler temperatures, with highs peaking in the low 70s.

Rain chances increase in the evening, with steady bands of rain expected overnight into the Tuesday morning commute.

IMPACT DAY TUESDAY: Rain, snow & thunderstorms

Roads will be wet Tuesday morning with continuing rain showers. Isolated thunderstorms are possible and some may be strong enough to produce small hail, gusty winds, and frequent lightning.

Sierra snow returns with snow mainly above 6,000 feet Tuesday. Sierra passes may see up to a foot of snow by Wednesday afternoon. Slick roads and chain controls are expected Tuesday and Wednesday.

Thursday through the weekend looks dry and quiet.

Monday Forecast

While Monday should stay dry for much of the region, some high-resolution forecast models suggest a few pre-frontal showers could begin developing as early as Monday morning or afternoon.

High temperatures will also be a few degrees cooler due to increasing clouds and an onshore flow.

Breezy day in the Sierra

Winds will be the strongest in the Sierra where a Lake Wind Advisory is in effect for the Greater Lake Tahoe Area.

Winds may peak at 35 mph, causing waves to be as high as 3 feet on the lakes.

Tuesday is a KCRA 3 Weather Impact Day

The main band of rain is expected to arrive Monday evening, bringing moderate to heavy rainfall Monday night through early Tuesday as the system moves from west to east.

In the Sierra, colder air will turn that moisture into snow early Tuesday morning. Snow levels are expected to start around 6,500 feet, then fall to 5,000 feet Tuesday night before dropping to near 4,500 feet by Wednesday morning. The best snow accumulation is expected above 5,000 feet.

In the Valley, steady rain will transition to more showery conditions during the Tuesday morning commute. That lingering post-frontal moisture is expected to help fuel thunderstorms in the valley and foothills Tuesday afternoon and evening, making Tuesday an Impact Day across the region.

Forecast rain totals

Showers will gradually taper off Tuesday night, though a few lingering showers may continue into Wednesday as wraparound moisture rotates through the area.

Most areas should be dry by dinnertime Wednesday.

Foothills & Sierra 7-day forecast

Looking ahead, the rest of the week appears quieter, though occasional breezes, passing clouds, and perhaps a few mountain showers remain possible.

Valley 7-day forecast

The KCRA Weather Team is also watching the potential for another weather system to arrive by the end of next weekend.