Storms bringing rain, snow, cooler weather to Stockton, Sierra

Oct 28, 2024

It’s not winter yet, but the weather in the Stockton area is turning markedly cooler, making for a chilly and potentially wet Halloween.

Some California mountains could get their first solid snow of the season over the weekend, while the Stockton-Modesto area could see showers throughout the week, the National Weather Service reported.

Beginning Monday, high temps in Stockton are expected to drop into the low 70s, with overnight lows ranging from the mid-40s throughout the week and 51 on Halloween evening, Accuweather reported. The National Weather Service reports a chance of showers, mainly after 11 p.m., on Halloween.

Two autumn storms are moving through the Pacific Northwest, and to the east, the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe and the Interstate 80 area are expected to get a light coat of snow.

Here's what to expect with the weather in Northern California.

The first storm could arrive in Stockton as early as late afternoon on Sunday. It will last until Tuesday.

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What will likely be a light rainstorm could also drop one to three inches of snow in the high mountains early in the week.

Snow levels will drop as low as 5,500 feet on Monday, then go as low as 4,500 feet by Tuesday, according to the weather service.

Light winds kick up on Tuesday, with gusts reaching 7 mph.

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In Northern California, motorists should prepare for slick road conditions on Interstate 5 and North State highways Sunday through Tuesday, the weather service said.

Chilly rain could turn to snow in the mountains, so motorists driving high mountain passes should prepare for winter conditions.

The National Weather Service in Sacramento predicted 1 to 2 inches of snow on Monday in the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe and the Interstate 80 area.

Snow will fall off and on in the area at elevations above 6,000 feet, and isn't expected to affect I-80 travelers going over Donner Pass, said Craig Shoemaker, a weather service meteorologist. Snow was not expected to stick or get icy at the rate predicted, he said.

"Not on the roads, probably too much during the day anyways, but more on the grassy surfaces there. I mean, I guess if it comes down fast enough, it could probably be a little slushy. That'd be about the most I would think," Shoemaker said.

Hurricane Kristy spinning in the Pacific could send mid and upper-level moisture toward Southern California, according to Big Bear-based Meteorologist Ben Brissey.

Hurricane Kristy weakened to a Category 1 storm on Saturday and is expected to downgrade into a post-tropical cyclone and disorganize in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday, the National Hurricane Center announced.

On Saturday morning, the agency said the hurricane was over 1,000 miles from the southern tip of Baja California. Kristy is moving northwest at roughly 15 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.

NHC said Hurricane Kristy has maximum sustained winds of 75 mph with higher gusts.

“High-pressure overhead will put a cap on any convection, but we could squeeze out a few sprinkles, otherwise, expect considerable high cloud cover,” Brissey said.

The Victorville Daily Press contributed to this report.