Franchise Opportunities in Sacramento, CA

More rounds of heavy rain beginning this weekend will bring continued flood risk across much of Northern California through at least the middle of next week, including in the Bay Area and Sacramento Valley, the latest weather forecasts show.

After brief respite on a mostly dry Friday, the National Weather Service predicts the valley could get between 4 and 7 inches of rain from Saturday morning through Wednesday afternoon across “multiple” winter storms. Parts of the foothills could see up to a foot of precipitation.

Gusts near Sacramento on Saturday night could reach 40 mph, forecasts show, once again threatening weakened trees and posing a risk to power lines.

Meanwhile, a winter storm warning has been issued for the Sierra Nevada mountains, in place 4 a.m. Saturday through 4 p.m. Tuesday. Forecasts call for 1 to 3 feet of snow, beginning at elevations as low as 4,000 feet on Saturday before rising to about 7,000 feet Sunday night, then lowering once again Monday and Tuesday.

The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab on Friday morning reported 20 inches of snow in the past 48 hours, bringing the seven-day total to nearly 5 feet.

The weather service has a flood watch in place for Saturday through Wednesday, encompassing most of interior Northern California as well as the entire Bay Area.

Weather and state emergency officials warn that with each successive storm, the flood risk will compound as the ground becomes more saturated, leading to excess runoff into rivers, creeks and streams that are already running high from prior storms.

The NWS Sacramento office on Friday said the coming storms could peak next Monday, when “extreme” impacts are anticipated.

The latest flood watch advisory includes all of Sacramento County, which saw deadly flooding develop last weekend starting with a powerful New Year’s Eve storm, which also knocked out power for more than 150,000 homes and businesses countywide.

At least three people have been found dead in south Sacramento County floodwaters, which swept through last weekend, stranding drivers on roadways including Highway 99.

Their identities were confirmed Thursday by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office as: Steven Sampson, 45, of McAlester, Oklahoma; Mei Keng Lam, 57 of San Leandro; and Katherine Martinez, 61, of Orland.

Sampson’s body was found Sunday morning in a vehicle near Dillard Road and Highway 99, authorities said.

Lam was found near Dillard Road on Wednesday morning, also near Dillard Road but not in a vehicle. Martinez was located inside a submerged vehicle in Galt.

Gusts topped 50 mph during last weekend’s storm and did so again late Wednesday through early Thursday.

Sacramento County officials on Thursday said county workers had received reports of more than 300 downed trees since New Year’s Eve.

A strong atmospheric river system brought hounding winds and significant rain totals to Northern California in the most recent storm. Downtown Sacramento recorded close to 1 1/2 inches of rain Wednesday and Thursday, according to the weather service.

This week’s storm mostly spared the Sacramento region of major damage or disruption, though there were scattered reports of localized roadway flooding, including in Folsom and rural parts of Placer County.

However, the latest storm battered other regions, including coastal areas such as Santa Cruz County, where a pier collapsed amid heavy rain and high tides.

Empress Tavern is back, more casual than before and under new ownership.

The basement restaurant downstairs of the Crest Theatre reopened Thursday at 1013 K St. in downtown Sacramento, more than two years after it closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Empress’ arching brick ceilings are one of the few holdovers from the original restaurant to what’s there now. Robert Alvis and Elliot Prestwich of GD Theaters bought the Crest in October 2019, then bought Empress from chef/co-owner Michael Thiemann after it closed.

Many businesses along K Street closed during the pandemic, and GD Theaters saw an opportunity in reopening the downstairs restaurant. But Empress also controlled the Crest Theatre’s liquor license, and the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control had indicated it wouldn’t be renewed if the downstairs restaurant remained closed.

Without a change, concertgoers and movie-watchers wouldn’t have been able to enjoy a glass of wine or cocktail with their entertainment. So Alvis and Prestwich went about redesigning Empress Tavern as a more casual, affordable spot for group to grab a bite before a show.

Empress was well-known for its cocktails and meat-centered menu in a distinct, underground venue.

Now vegan burgers, mushroom risotto and French dip sandwiches have replaced $40 steaks and spare ribs for four. No entree is more than $16, and chef Jackson Wade’s shareable small plates such as chicken skewers or arancini with curry aioli run $4-$10.

“It’s a little bit more focused on the tavern than the Empress,” said bar manager Evan Erickson. “We want to live up to that old Empress name, but it’s going to be a little bit more bistro-style rather than fine dining.”

The former chef at Ella Dining Room & Bar, Thiemann opened the hotly-anticipated Empress in 2015. It was two doors down from his all-vegetarian restaurant Mother, which closed in January 2020.

Empress Tavern will be open from 4-10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and on other nights when the Crest Theatre has a show.

Don’t be fooled by the calm skies. Rain will still pour down in Sacramento Thursday into at least next week, according to forecasts.

A major storm event was expected to begin Wednesday, resulting in a flood watch until Friday morning. Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency in response to the intense atmospheric river that was forecasted to pummel Northern California.

Sacramento appears to have dodged a bullet, compared to the intense storm that hit the San Francisco Bay Area, where wind gusts at speeds up to 101 mph led to evacuations, power outages for nearly 80,000 residents and toppled trees.

“The brunt of the current system has moved through with the peak in winds and rain now behind us,” the National Weather Service in stated in a Sacramento area forecast discussion Thursday. “However, showery and breezy weather will continue today in the post-frontal airmass.”

According to the service, downtown Sacramento saw 0.37 inches of rain Wednesday, with strong winds up to 45 to 60 mph. The system will continue to weaken, as reported in the forecast discussion, but more strong storms are expected over the weekend and early next week, bringing heavy precipitation, snow and winds. There may be threats of flooding and disruptions to mountain travel.

The weather service forecasts that there’s a chance of thunderstorms and heavy rain, possibly amounting to 0.25 to 0.50 inches, throughout the day Thursday. Wind gusts are expected to be as high as 24 mph. Thursday’s high is around 52 and the low is near 44.

The area’s flood advisory was extended southeast, including parts of western El Dorado County. The service advises motorists to not drive through flooded roads and be extra careful driving at night.

For Friday, temperatures are forecast with a high of about 57 and a low near 48. There’s a chance of rain starting after 11 a.m. Wind speeds are up to 10 mph during the day and up to 20 mph at night.

Rain is following through to the weekend at an 80% chance on Saturday and a 90% chance on Sunday. Highs are around 53 and lows are near 50 for both days. There’s a chance of rain headed into next week.

As wind and rain continue to rage on in Northern California, a weekend in Sacramento may look a little different as popular events across the area decide to shut its doors.

The weekend storm will have “high impact” with wind gusts as high as 48 mph in Sacramento. A flood watch will go into effect late Saturday night into Wednesday afternoon for portions of Northern California, including Sacramento.

A wind advisory was added Friday afternoon, set to go into effect Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon. A mix of southwest winds and wind gusts, the National Weather Service wrote on its website, could result in another round of fallen trees and power outages.

Here’s what events around town have decided to shut down, plus which popular Sacramento weekend spots will decide what to do as the weather develops.

Sacramento Antique Faire at 1 Sports Parkway, which hosts hundreds of vendors on the second Sunday of each month, canceled its Jan. 8 event because of the weekend forecast.

“As well,” Sacramento Antique Faire wrote on its website “there are numerous trees down in the lots at Sleep Train Arena.”

The January faire could be pushed to Sunday, Jan. 22. A definite date will be updated to its website early next week.

Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink at 701 K St. in downtown Sacramento has not made a definite decision to close its doors this weekend.

Daily updates are posted to the ice rink’s Instagram page, including shutdowns due to inclement weather.

Midtown Farmers Market at 20th and K Streets will open between 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday “rain or shine.”

However, it canceled on Dec. 31 due to weather, according to its Facebook, so keep an eye out for updates.

All three of the Saturday California Certified Farmers’ Market locations, California Certified Farmers’ Markets wrote on Facebook page, “plan to open.”

The Saturday markets will open 8 a.m. to noon. Here are the details:

Whether the Sunday market at Arden Fair will open depends on how the weather holds up, said co-owner Renae Best with California Certified Farmers’ Markets.

“The weather changes so quickly and the growers are having trouble harvesting, so there’s a limited supply,” she said.

Weather updates will post to both California Certified Farmers’ Markets’ Instagram and its Facebook page.

Flash flood warnings were issued on Sunday in parts of northern California after a powerful storm brought drenching rain and heavy snowfall overnight, snarling traffic and closing highways as the state ushered in the new year.

Residents in the area of Wilton in Sacramento county were urged to seek higher ground by emergency officials amid the threat of “imminent levee failure” on a portion of the local Cosumnes River, the Sacramento Bee reported.

Many roads were underwater on Sunday and rivers were above flood level.

And in the high Sierra Nevada, snow accumulated and the National Weather Service in Sacramento warned about hazardous driving conditions and posted photos on Twitter showing traffic on snow-covered mountain passes, where vehicles were required to have chains or four-wheel drive.

The so-called atmospheric river storm was pulling in a long and wide plume of moisture from the Pacific Ocean on Friday and Saturday. Flooding and rock slides closed portions of roads across northern California.

Precipitation was easing as the new year was rung in, but the threat of flooding remained.

It was the first of several storms expected to roll across California over the next week. The current system is expected to be warmer and wetter, while next week’s storms will be colder, lowering snow levels in the mountains, said Hannah Chandler-Cooley, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

The Sacramento region could receive a total of four to five inches of rain over the span of the week, Chandler-Cooley said.

The extreme weather came amid the longer-term picture of a historic mega-drought in the area and the wider region, punctuated by devastating wildfires over a prolonged season, that adds up to a climate disaster in the American west.

Meanwhile, almost 300 miles north-west of Sacramento, an earthquake, preliminarily reported at a magnitude of 5.4, hit the area near Rio Dell on Sunday, in Humboldt county.

No injuries were reported but the temblor came weeks after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake in the same region on December 20, which killed two people and caused widespread power outages.