Honestly, if you’ve lived in Elk Grove for more than a single winter, you know the drill. You wake up, look out the window at a wall of gray, and check your phone only to see a "10% chance of rain" that somehow turns into a soaked driveway by noon.
Right now, as of Saturday, January 17, 2026, we are sitting in that classic mid-January funk. The current weather forecast for Elk Grove shows a temperature of 42°F with a humidity level of 90%. It’s damp. It’s chilly. The wind is barely moving—just a 2 mph whisper from the east. It's the kind of morning where the air feels heavy enough to wear, even if the "official" condition is just partly cloudy.
What’s Actually Happening This Week
Forget the dramatic atmospheric rivers we saw back in early January. You remember—the ones that had the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District pulling delivery drivers out of two feet of water over by Kiefer Boulevard. That chaos has mostly settled.
Today, we're looking at a high of 57°F and a low of 42°F. It’s going to stay mostly cloudy throughout the day, transitioning to full-on cloudy tonight. There’s a persistent 10% chance of rain hanging over us, which basically means "carry an umbrella just in case, but don't expect a car wash."
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The real story is the consistency. Look at the numbers for the next few days:
- Sunday, January 18: Sunny skies return with a high of 59°F. A perfect day for a walk at Elk Grove Park, honestly.
- Monday, January 19: Back to mostly cloudy. High 57°F, low 40°F.
- Tuesday, January 20: Partly sunny, hitting 59°F again.
It’s a broken record of "high 50s/low 40s" that makes planning your outfit feel like Groundhog Day.
The Fog Factor Nobody Talks About
While every major news outlet in Sacramento focuses on the Sierra snowpack or the American River levels, Elk Grove residents deal with the Tule fog. With humidity sitting at 90% this morning and winds near zero, the visibility is the real hazard.
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National Weather Service data often highlights the "visibility" metric for a reason. When that valley air traps moisture against the ground, the commute down Highway 99 becomes a game of "is that a car or a ghost?" We’re seeing a UV index of 0 right now, which is typical for these thick, overcast January mornings.
Why the Rain Numbers Look Weird
You might see "10% precipitation" and think it's a dry day. In Elk Grove, that’s not always true. Historically, January is our wettest month, averaging about 3.74 inches of rain. Even when the "chance" is low, the moisture in the air is so high that everything stays wet.
We had a massive storm system earlier this month—January 2nd through the 5th—that delivered the bulk of our monthly quota in one go. Now, we’re in a "recharge" phase. The Department of Water Resources is actually reducing outflows from Lake Oroville right now because the runoff has slowed down. It's a weirdly calm pocket of weather.
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Practical Steps for the Next 48 Hours
Don't let the "sunny" forecast for tomorrow fool you into thinking it's warm. A high of 59°F is still crisp.
- Check your tire pressure. These 20-degree swings between day and night (40°F to 60°F) are notorious for triggering that annoying "low pressure" light on your dashboard.
- Gardeners, hold off. Even though it’s not freezing (which is usually below 30°F here), the soil is likely saturated from the early January atmospheric river. Digging now will just turn your yard into a muddy mess.
- Clean your gutters... again. Seriously. We have a light rain chance (20%) creeping back in by next Sunday, January 25th. If your gutters are still full of those late-falling oak leaves, you’re going to have a bad time when the next real cell hits.
The weather forecast for Elk Grove is basically telling us to stay cozy but stay alert. We’re in the heart of the "cool season," which typically lasts until mid-February. Enjoy the sun on Sunday—it’s the only clear break we’re getting in an otherwise gray week.