Cooler weather forecast
The National Weather Service says this weekend may offer a respite from recent high temperatures.
According to an NWS news release, the valley will see a significant cooling trend into the weekend, with a possibility of precipitation Sunday into Monday.
With the cooler temperatures comes wind gusts that bring an increased threat of fires, athough increased humidity will ease the threat to some extent.
A spokesperson for NWS said isolated thunderstorms are possible Sunday for the Central Valley, moving into the Sierras and foothills. According to the release, a few inches of snow may also be possible over the higher mountain terrain.
The NWS release said below-normal temperatures were expected today with additional cooling of 15 to 25 degrees below normal by Sunday.
The last time Yuba-Sutter saw measurable rainfall was June 18, with 0.01 of an inch. The last time Sacramento saw measurable rainfall was May 20, the spokesperson said.
September 2015 had fairly similar trends with high temperatures early in the month, and significant cooling at the end. Sept. 16, 2015, saw 0.06 of an inch of rain.
The possibility of rain comes at the end of the water year, a period during which precipitation totals are measured, which runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.
According to a California Department of Water Resources news release, water year 2016 is listed as “dry” statewide, even though parts of Northern California experienced average to slightly above average precipitation, and ends “a fifth consecutive year marked by meager precipitation that fell more often as rain than snow.”
According to DWR’s data exchange center index for the area, though the daily precipitation flatlined midJune, the average daily precipitation is 57.9 percent. The daily precipitation for 2014-15 was 37.2 percent.
Doug Carlson, a DWR information officer, said this shows the drought is multi-faceted.
The news release also said 60 percent of the state remains in severe or extreme drought.
The sixth annual Taste of Yuba-Sutter, a celebration of local food and spirits, will take place “rain or shine” on Sunday, a spokesperson for the Yuba-Sutter Chamber of Commerce said.