A storm system traveling over the Pacific Ocean from Hawaii is expected to reach the Sacramento region Thursday.
Brooke Bingaman with the National Weather Service in Sacramento says this will be a fairly normal winter storm.
"We haven't seen normal winter storms for almost six years now," says Bingaman. "So for many of us it seems abnormal."
Bingaman says warm, tropical storm systems like this one hold more moisture.
"Because it's a Pineapple Express, some areas could get dumped on pretty heavily in terms of rain," says Bingaman.
Sacramento could get up to two inches of rain.
"It's a good amount for Sacramento," says Bingaman. "So far this month we've had 1.24 inches. So this storm could pretty much double what we've already gotten so far this month."
Places north of Sacramento, like Marysville, could see about three inches. Creeks and streams area expected to rise. A flood watch will be in effect.
"We're definitely expecting rises on small creeks and streams," says Bingaman. "Even on the Sacramento River, that's going to experience some rises. Not expecting it to reach flooding at this point. But there will be some rises."
And it'll be windy with gusts as high as 41 miles an hour. We'll be dry again on Friday. But it will be colder.
"By Sunday morning we're expecting temperatures to really drop," says Bingaman. "So the next big thing on the horizon is very cold temperatures, possibly a hard freeze Sunday morning."
Overnight lows this weekend will be in the low 30s with daytime highs in the upper 40s to low 50s.
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