May's Surprise: Thunderstorms and Snow Hit Sierra Thursday

Just when you thought you’d packed away the rain gear for summer, Mother Nature’s throwing a curveball at Northern California this week. Thursday is shaping up to be what the KCRA 3 weather team is calling an Impact Day—and for good reason. While Sacramento Valley residents might dodge the worst of it with just scattered showers during the morning commute, the real action’s happening up in the Sierra and Foothills, where thunderstorms and snow are about to crash the late-May party.

Here’s what makes this unusual: we’re talking about snow above 7,000 feet in late May. Accumulations will be light, but they’re enough to make mountain roads slick and unpredictable during the afternoon and early evening hours. If you’ve got plans heading to higher elevations—whether that’s hiking, camping, or just a scenic drive—Thursday needs to be rescheduled. The timing is particularly tricky because it arrives when most of us are mentally committed to warm-weather mode. Thunderstorms developing in the Foothills and Sierra will be the headline event, so anyone in those regions should keep an eye on the sky and stay alert.

The Valley itself will see showers wrap back in from the north overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning, potentially making for a wet commute in Sacramento. Damp roads are the main hazard for most folks in the metro area. By Friday, the moisture clears out, and temperatures start climbing back to something resembling normal late May weather. A few lingering showers are possible early Friday, but nothing dramatic.

The silver lining? The weekend’s coming in beautiful. Highs in the 80s and plenty of sunshine mean those plans you’re rescheduling from Thursday can probably move to Saturday or Sunday. Beyond that, though, brace yourselves: the broader pattern is shifting into heat mode. Temperatures are expected to push into the 90s by early next week, and current forecast models suggest they’ll stay parked in the 90s for the foreseeable future. So this Thursday’s stormy detour is basically spring’s last hurrah before summer cranks up the intensity.