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Hydrometeorological Discussion
National Weather Service / California Nevada RFC / Sacramento CA
130 PM PDT Wed Apr 15 2026

...SHOWERS OVER NRN CA/NV SRN OR TODAY AS A FRONT MOVES THROUGH...
...LINGERING SHOWERS OVER THE SIERRA INTO NV THRS WITH DRYING INTO 
THE WEEKEND...
...LARGER UPPER LOW TO BRING MORE WIDESPREAD PRECIP LATE 
WEEKEND/EARLY NEXT WEEK...

.METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (WED PM - TUE AM)...

Not much has changed since this morning. A front is beginning to 
traverse nw CA sending some showers into srn OR, nrn CA, and nrn NV. 
The front will continue to move through the rest of the day as the 
upper low digs into the PacNW. The southwestern edge of the low will 
descend into NV on Thursday allowing for some lingering showers 
before a ridge builds in behind it returning dry conditions to the 
region. Expecting another 0.10-0.50" over nw CA from that front. 
Uncertainty is still quite high for the weekend or early next week 
approaching upper low. Models continue to disagree on the arrival 
timing and subsequent progression of the system. The 12z det ECMWF 
has slowed down since this morning not heading inland as quickly on 
Monday as in previous runs. The 12z det GFS remains the slowest of 
the three models. Ensembles overall continue to show arrival timing 
of showers anywhere between Saturday evening and Tuesday. The 
official forecast still leans on the slower side compared to the 
NBM. For the afternoon update, blended in the 12z GFS and ECMWF for 
Sunday to keep precip more confined west of I-5 as both det models 
agree on holding off the inland spread of precip until Monday. For 
Monday, mainly used WPC/NBM but while pulling back the extent of 
precip a bit to represent that slower timing. Confidence is low due 
to the wide range of timing possibilities and lack of consensus 
amongst the ensembles on a clear path. QPF for the weekend low: 1-2" 
nrn CA west of Shasta (up to 2.50" or so Cape Mendocino), 0.50-1.25" 
central coast mountains, and 0.25-0.75" most of the Bay Area 
(locally higher across the North Bay)/nrn Sierra/central coast/Sac 
Valley.