Sacramento Spring Storm: 20-Degree Drop, Hail, and Sierra Snow

If you were wondering where spring went, a powerful system that rolled through Northern California on Tuesday had some answers—and they came with lightning, hail, and a temperature drop that felt less like May and more like a seasonal whiplash.

The weather shift hit the region hard and fast. Viewers across the Sacramento Valley captured dramatic footage of what KCRA 3 Meteorologist Heather Waldman described as an active low-pressure system that would linger through Wednesday and Thursday. The most striking example came from Davis, where Colin McCarthy recorded video of hail falling as temperatures plummeted over 20 degrees—from the 70s down to the high 40s in what felt like moments. Highway 50 in Folsom showed spectacular lightning strikes, while Nevada City and other foothill communities got their own dose of frozen precipitation. Meanwhile, viewers in Fair Oaks and Folsom documented heavy rain pooling outside homes, underscoring just how quickly conditions shifted from dry and warm to soaked and cold.

The storm wasn’t confined to the valley floor. Caltrans cameras captured snow accumulating on Interstate 80 at Donner Summit, with additional light snow showers scattered along Highway 89 on the west shore of Tahoe. The moisture was real and widespread—Folsom recorded close to three-quarters of an inch of rain in just 24 hours, while Quincy and other mountain communities picked up between a third and half an inch. Placer County communities like Lincoln and Auburn saw rain continuing into the evening.

Although thunderstorm risk was expected to decrease Wednesday, Heather Waldman warned that unsettled weather would stick around through Thursday, keeping the pattern active for locals hoping to get outdoors. For Sacramento area residents, the takeaway is clear: pack layers, keep an eye on the forecast, and don’t put away those umbrellas just yet. Spring, it turns out, isn’t quite ready to loosen its grip.