Pet owners in Northern California warned of chilly temperatures

An atmospheric river bumping into the Pacific Northwest has ushered in cold temperatures across Northern California, prompting meteorologists to advise pet owners to take proper care of their pets amid the cold weather.

The atmospheric river – a narrow corridor of concentrated moisture originating from the Pacific Ocean – is one of the strongest storms of its kind to hit Northern California so far this season, with meteorologists predicting heavy rain and mountain snow this week. Severe weather conditions are also expected throughout Oregon and Washington when the storm hits.

In the early morning hours Monday, National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists at the Sacramento office issued a freeze warning warning of low temperatures.

“Low temperatures 30 to 36 degrees and frost possible tomorrow morning at elevations below 2,000 feet,” the warning said. “These cold temperatures can be dangerous to pets, plants and those without adequate heating. Frost and freezing conditions can affect sensitive vegetation.”

The freeze warning is in place for the Carquinez Strait and Delta, the Sacramento Valley, the Mother Lode region, the mountains from southwestern Shasta County to western Colusa County, the northeastern foothills, the northern San Joaquin Valley, Shasta Lake and northern Shasta County. The warning is expected to last until 10 a.m. local time on Tuesday.

“Take action now to protect those sensitive to cold effects,” the warning said.

NWS lead meteorologist Nathan Rick told Newsweek that the temperatures are trending around 10 degrees below normal for this time of year. Average low temperatures are in the lower 40s.

This is the first time temperatures have dropped for the fall/winter season, Rick said, triggering the freeze warning.

“We’re expecting a fairly sustained period of precipitation from around noon Tuesday through the weekend,” Rick said, adding that temperatures will remain low, about 5 degrees below normal, throughout the week.

The frost warning is just one of many weather warnings issued across the region as the atmospheric river arrived.

Atmospheric rivers are a “long, narrow region of the atmosphere — like rivers in the sky — that transport most of the water vapor outside the tropics,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Other weather warnings issued in California include a winter storm warning, a high wind warning, a flash flood watch and countless others.

Although atmospheric rivers can help alleviate drought, the winter storms also cause devastating floods and landslides. Meteorologists are again predicting a wet winter for the West Coast, according to an AccuWeather report released earlier this season, with forecasts predicting atmospheric rivers to target Northern California earlier in the winter season before shifting to Southern California in January.