The rainy month of May will continue to be wet with heavy precipitation expected to start during this evening's commute.
So far, 1.17 inches of rain has fallen in the first week of May in Sacramento, twice the average for the entire month. The National Weather Service expects plently more tonight with a half to three-quarters of an inch predicted to fall tonight.
"It's going to be a little wet," said Felix Garcia, weather service meteorologist. "Winds will be from 10 to 20 mph. The chance of rain for today is quite low -- about 30 percent. But tonight is when we start getting more rain.
"After 5 p.m., when people are driving home, it is likely that rain will kick in. Drivers be careful."
The rain will continue into the early morning hours, padding an already wet month. The rain is the product of a warm sub-tropical storm coming directly at the state from the Pacific Ocean.
So far, Sacramento has received 15.87 inches of rain for the rainfall year, which began July 1, 2008. Average rainfall for the entire season, ending June 30, is 19.15 inches.
The precipitation continues to help fill lakes and reservoirs in Northern California. Folsom Lake is at 83 percent of capacity, Shasta Lake at 67 percent and Lake Oroville at 59 percent.
Storage at Folsom Lake is 793,198 acre feet. That compares to just 542,695 acre feet captured in the lake this time last year. Water levels in Shasta Lake and Lake Oroville also are higher.
Shasta Lake has just over 3 million acre feet, compared with 2.9 million acre feet last year. Lake Oroville has 2,068,813 acre feet, which is higher than the 1.7 million in storage this time last year.
However, snow pack water content reflects the ongoing drought conditions. Water content in the snow in the Northern Sierra Nevada is at just 66 percent of average.
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So far, 1.17 inches of rain has fallen in the first week of May in Sacramento, twice the average for the entire month. The National Weather Service expects plently more tonight with a half to three-quarters of an inch predicted to fall tonight.
"It's going to be a little wet," said Felix Garcia, weather service meteorologist. "Winds will be from 10 to 20 mph. The chance of rain for today is quite low -- about 30 percent. But tonight is when we start getting more rain.
"After 5 p.m., when people are driving home, it is likely that rain will kick in. Drivers be careful."
The rain will continue into the early morning hours, padding an already wet month. The rain is the product of a warm sub-tropical storm coming directly at the state from the Pacific Ocean.
So far, Sacramento has received 15.87 inches of rain for the rainfall year, which began July 1, 2008. Average rainfall for the entire season, ending June 30, is 19.15 inches.
The precipitation continues to help fill lakes and reservoirs in Northern California. Folsom Lake is at 83 percent of capacity, Shasta Lake at 67 percent and Lake Oroville at 59 percent.
Storage at Folsom Lake is 793,198 acre feet. That compares to just 542,695 acre feet captured in the lake this time last year. Water levels in Shasta Lake and Lake Oroville also are higher.
Shasta Lake has just over 3 million acre feet, compared with 2.9 million acre feet last year. Lake Oroville has 2,068,813 acre feet, which is higher than the 1.7 million in storage this time last year.
However, snow pack water content reflects the ongoing drought conditions. Water content in the snow in the Northern Sierra Nevada is at just 66 percent of average.
More...