Sacramento sits at the confluence of the Sacramento and American rivers in California’s Central Valley, a location that puts it at genuine risk from atmospheric river events, narrow bands of concentrated tropical moisture that can be steered directly at Northern California and combine with snowmelt to raise river levels dramatically over a few days. The city averages around 470 mm (about 19 inches) of rain a year, concentrated in winter, but the levee system protecting much of the city has a documented history of close calls during the most extreme atmospheric river seasons. Because these events can escalate quickly from routine winter rain to a serious flood risk, radar tracking during the wet season is a genuinely important tool. NWS Doppler radar KDAX (Sacramento/Davis) covers the region.
Learn more: Flash Flood Warning Signs on Radar · Open the full Rain Map