Will it rain in Solano County this weekend?
The answer: Maybe, but if it does, don't expect much of it.
(Graphic by Solano News Update)
Cold weather will remain throughout Solano County late Wednesday evening into Thursday morning, though low overnight temperatures are not expected to be as frigid as they have been over the last few days.
For the first time this week, there are no cold weather watches, warnings or advisories in Solano County or any neighboring county, suggesting a slight warm-up after a bitterly cold start to the week.
Low temperatures in north Solano County will be just above freezing, averaging in the mid-30s, though in some areas it will feel closer to the low 40s. In south Solano County and along the water, things will be slightly warmer, with low overnight temperatures from the upper-30s to the low-40s.
The real question remains: Will it rain later this week? After several days of uncertainty, forecasters think the answer is yes — but don’t expect much of it for our area.
Forecast models used by meteorologists at the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office predicted rain might start as soon as tomorrow evening, but those same models have now delayed the start of any rain activity to no sooner than Friday afternoon.
The majority of the rain activity is expected to be along the coast of California north of Ukiah and far west of Redding. The community of Eureka is expected to be at the center of much of Friday’s precipitation activity, with predictions of as much as 2 inches of rain in places.
Other areas of significant rainfall include portions of the Sierra Nevada where showers are expected to turn into snow starting Friday evening and lasting through the rest of the weekend. Predictions vary on how much snow will fall in that area, though forecasters think it will be somewhere between 2 to 6 inches.
Closer to home, clouds and cold weather are expected to remain in Solano County for the rest of the week. Any shower activity is likely to be limited, according to weather prediction models; if Solano County sees any rain, it will likely be a quarter-inch or less.
Areas west of Solano County might see slightly more rain, but not by much, with forecasts indicating up to a half-inch of rain in Santa Rosa and as much as 1 inch of rain in Ukiah.
How rain is measured
You’ve probably heard weather forecasters refer to the rainfall amounts in inches. This is the metric used by rain gauges, the cylindrical device used to collect and measure rainfall within a given period (typically a day, though sometimes it’s measured every hour). Outside of the United States, the same devices are used to measure rain in millimeters.
Rain is measured in inches within a given period. Sometimes, this is per hour — a storm that brings 1 inch of rain per hour is pretty severe compared to a storm that brings a quarter-inch of rain per hour. Sometimes, the measurement is done over a longer period of time, which helps scientists and weather forecasters gauge if enough rain is being delivered to an areas for adequate agricultural growth, to replenish reservoirs and other water delivery systems or for other reasons.
Here’s a good way to think about rainfall in inches per hour:
Light rain: Less than one-tenth (0.10) of an inch of rain per hour.
Moderate rain: Between one-tenth (0.10) and one-third (0.33) of an inch per hour.
Heavy rain: Between one-third (0.33) and 1 inch of rain per hour.
Severe rain: Any amount greater than 1 inch of rain per hour.
In this edition of the Solano News Update newsletter, the rain predicted is measure in inches over a period of two days. The amounts predicted for Friday through Sunday suggest rain will be sporadic and light throughout Solano County if showers develop, while heavier at times in portions of coastal Northern California and the Sierra Nevada.
You can always find the latest weather forecasts for Solano County and other areas of Northern California by visiting the National Weather Service’s Sacramento Office webpage by clicking or tapping here.
This newsletter is an all-volunteer effort. If you would like to show your appreciation, consider making a donation in any amount or converting your email subscription into a paid one. Discuss this newsletter and other stories from across Solano County on our Facebook group here and follow our new Twitter account here.