An unusually sturdy, early-season chilly entrance was transferring throughout Northern California on Friday, bringing with it the chance for uncommon August snow alongside the peaks of the Sierra Nevada.
A low-pressure system coming off the Pacific has created just a few days of “climate whiplash,” which forecasters say will drastically drop temperatures and create favorable situations for showers and thunderstorms Friday and Saturday — earlier than rebounding to extra typical August climate patterns by Sunday.
For the primary time in over twenty years, August snow may fall on among the highest peaks of California’s Sierra Nevada, most notably alongside the Tioga Go and the tallest factors of Yosemite Nationwide Park.
“Snow has not occurred [in August] right here since 2003,” the Nationwide Climate Service in Hanford wrote in its Friday forecast. “Whereas this snow is not going to keep round very lengthy, roads close to Tioga Go may very well be slick and any campers and hikers ought to put together for winter situations.”
There’s a few 50% probability for a dusting within the space early Saturday, forecasters stated, and a chance for transient snowfall throughout peaks over 8,000 toes in elevation.
“Getting one thing in late August is fairly early,” stated Tony Fuentes, a Nationwide Climate Service meteorologist in Reno, although he stated it’s not unparalleled.
If something does fall, “it’s not wanting like plenty of accumulation,” he stated.
Nonetheless, some Tahoe-area ski resorts will probably be looking out for snow Saturday morning, together with Palisades Tahoe.
“It’s exceptionally uncommon for our space to expertise new snowfall in August, because it’s usually one of many warmest months right here in Tahoe,” Patrick Lacey, a spokesperson for the resort, stated in a press release. The resort stated it hasn’t seen August snow since 2004.
The shift in climate bringing the possibility of snow will principally give individuals an early “trace of fall,” together with an opportunity for some file chilly temperatures within the space, Fuentes stated.
“Final time we had a chilly entrance that dropped us to those temperatures in August was 2014,” he stated.
The Tahoe space will see among the most dramatic drops, with highs Friday and Saturday about 15 to twenty levels under seasonal averages. Tahoe Metropolis is forecast to tie the file for its coldest excessive temperature for the date — 58 levels — whereas South Lake Tahoe’s forecast excessive of 62 levels is 5 levels under the earlier file.
The abnormally low temperatures will probably be felt throughout Northern California, however the probability for rainfall and thunderstorms is drawing essentially the most concern.
Across the large Park hearth burn scar — which extends throughout a lot of Butte, Tehama, Plumas and Shasta counties — officers have issued a flash flood watch Friday and Saturday. The hearth has burned almost 430,000 acres and was 65% contained as of Friday.
“Reasonable to heavy rainfall may set off flash flooding of low-lying areas and particles flows across the Park hearth burn scar,” the alert stated, including residents ought to put together for potential flooding.
As much as half an inch of rain is feasible over just a few hours from Friday night time into Saturday morning, significantly over Shasta County and within the Redding space, based on the Nationwide Climate Service.
If thunderstorms develop, officers stated the programs may create small hail, lightning and gusty winds, primarily within the northern Sacramento Valley.
The storm system will deliver some gusty winds throughout the state, which may enhance the possibility of wildfires. Kern County, specifically, is anticipated to have an elevated hearth danger via Saturday.
The swap away from these below-average temperatures will probably be simply as fast, with seasonal highs anticipated to return by Sunday and Monday. Lengthy-range forecasts even present that higher-than common temperatures are anticipated to return for the remainder of the month.
