Last Gasp of Moisture Headed to California Beginning Friday

It is setting up to be a soggy and snowy end to the month of April throughout much of California. Read on for the details of this late-season storm that is bearing down on the West Coast.

Rain and Snow Headed to California and Beyond

A storm brewing in the Pacific Ocean is going to take aim at California beginning on Friday, bringing a mix of rain and snow to the area. The moisture will be good news for the parts of the Golden State looking to build their water stores as the wet season comes to a close.

Storms coming out of the Pacific typically migrate farther to the north by this point of the season, often missing California completely. This will not be the case this weekend as the rain and snow encompass a large part of the state late Friday and through Saturday.

The storm system will move slowly onshore on Friday, hitting Northern California and southern Oregon first. The system will also deliver a mass of cooler air to the Southwest. Rain showers will become more pervasive as the weather maker pushes farther inland on Saturday. Portions of the interior Southwest will see some of this moisture by Sunday.

Looking at Friday specifically, Medford, Oregon, will start the day dry with rain showers coming together in the afternoon hours. Temperatures will max out in the low 60s with lows forecast to dip into the upper 40s overnight. Rain showers will persist into the evening and overnight hours for this region in Oregon.

It will be a dreary and rainy day in Eureka, California. This community will see the chance of rain showers linger through Saturday. Highs will struggle to climb out of the low 50s during this time as lows settle in the upper 40s.

Moving to the east, Reno, Nevada, will also see the chance of rain increase in the afternoon and evening hours on Friday. A steady rain will develop after the sun goes down, amounting to about a quarter of an inch of rainfall. You can expect temperatures in the mid 50s for a high and lows that dip to about 38 degrees. Winds will hit speeds of 10 to 15 mph from the west, making it feel chillier at times.

Rain in the Forecast for Southern California

Southern California will see its highest chance of widespread rain on Saturday. Los Angeles could see a few scattered rain showers early Friday, however, the moisture will be short-lived with sun expected in the afternoon. A steadier rain could develop on Saturday morning across the City of Angels. The cloud cover will keep the mercury in the low 60s for a high. Overnight lows will settle at about the 50-degree mark.

Los Angeles can expect to pick up just a few hundredths to 0.15 of an inch of rain from this system. While this is not substantial, the metro area has only seen about a trace of rainfall the entire month. You have to go back to April 3 to find the last time that the city has seen measurable rainfall. The average amount of rain that falls in Los Angeles over the course of April is 0.60 of an inch.

The back half of the weekend will be more conducive to outdoor activities in Los Angeles. Highs will climb into the mid 60s under partly cloudy skies on Sunday. A warming trend that sends the temperatures back to normal levels in the low 70s will start the new work week in Los Angeles.

San Diego is expecting its greatest chance of rain on Saturday afternoon. There is also the slight risk of an afternoon or evening thunderstorm that could usher in strong winds and hail.

Chance of Snow for the Higher Elevations

The storm system is predicted to bring in cooler air circulating over the Pacific. This mass of cooler temperatures will support the development of snow showers for the higher elevations of the region. Snow levels will plummet to about 5,500 feet for portions of the central Sierra Nevada.

For instance, Donner, California, is under a winter weather advisory from Friday at 5 pm to 11 am Sunday. The forecast is calling for snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches. Up to 10 inches could land on the highest peaks. It will also be gusty with winds clocking in at 35 mph. The mercury will only reach about 34 degrees on Saturday for a high with lows forecast to dip into the mid 20s overnight. Sunday will show some improvement in the forecast with lingering morning snow showers and a high of about 38 degrees.

Motorists planning to use Donner Pass across Interstate 80 in California this weekend will want to stay on top of the hourly forecast and resulting road conditions. In addition to the chances of accumulating snow, the combination of rain and oil on the roads could also create slippery roads.

While the Desert Southwest will dodge the precipitation, the impacts of the system will be felt in the form of noticeably cooler temperatures. Phoenix is forecast to fall from a high in the low 90s on Friday to readings in the upper 80s by Saturday. Sunday's forecast in the Valley of the Sun is calling for highs to max out at about 79 degrees, a marked change from the sizzling weather pattern in recent weeks.

It will be even cooler to the north in Las Vegas. Sin City will see readings hover in the low 70s for top readings on Saturday and Sunday despite plentiful sunshine. It will be quite breezy on Saturday on the Strip with winds out of the south-southwest at 15 to 25 mph. Forecasters are warning that higher wind gusts are a possibility.

What to Expect in the Long-Range Forecast

The chance of meaningful moisture will decrease significantly after this storm. This is typical of May when the moisture machine tends to shut off in the Pacific. California may experience one more shot of meaningful rain during the first week of May. We will continue to monitor that possibility and update as needed.

The exception to the long-range dry forecast will be in the Southwest. Forecasters are predicting that it will be an active North American monsoon season this summer. The usual rainfall with this pattern could be amplified by the expectation of tropical weather creeping into Southern California later in the summer season.

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