Weather Forecasts Show the First 10 Days of 2021 Will Bring Tons of Snow to NorCal
The mountains of Northern California saw plenty of snow in December, but not enough to eliminate drought conditions for the region following a dry 2020 water year. Those dry conditions could change with a forecast of 10 straight days of rain and snow to begin 2021.
The wet weather forecasts are a positive sign for the region suffering from low snowpack and water storage. It’s also great news for powder chasers.
Beginning on January 1, Mount Shasta, Lassen Volcanic National Park, the Sierra Nevada near Tahoe and the Eastern Sierra are all forecast to see 10-days of snowfall. At lower elevations, rain will fall continuously through the beginning of the year, replenishing the waterways and bringing much needed water to the dried-out forests. It could be reminiscent of the historic precipitation of February 2019.
Although the wet weather is a great sign for the water year, it’s far from enough to get NorCal out of a prolonged drought period. Local reservoirs currently sit between 57 percent and 71 percent of historical average, with long periods of excessive precipitation needed to get back to normal levels. Even if you dislike to wet weather, these upcoming storms are needed to bring normalcy back to the area and avoid another devastating wildfire season in 2021.
Here are the 10-day weather forecasts for each region of NorCal beginning January 1:
Mount Shasta
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lake Tahoe
Yosemite
Sacramento
Eureka
San Francisco
Redding
Buckle up, NorCal. January’s gonna be a wet one.