It might seem like an April Fool’s joke. But it’s not. After a month of dry and sometimes record hot weather, rain is finally back in forecast. A low-pressure system from the Pacific Northwest is expected to bring rain to much of Northern California next Tuesday and Wednesday. The showers would be the first rain in the area in a month — since March 2 — and although it is still early, could generate half an inch to 1 inch of precipitation across the Bay Area. … The same two-day system is also likely to bring 1 foot or more of snow and cooler temperatures to the Sierra Nevada, where ski resorts have been closing early for the season and the snowpack has been dwindling due to record-high temperatures in recent weeks.

Other California weather and water forecast news: 

• The Mercury Times (San Jose, Calif.): Atmospheric river storms to be tracked more accurately with new Bay Area weather radar stations
• NOAA Research: Blog: Groundbreaking atmospheric river forecasting collaboration crosses the finish line  
• ABC7: Bay Area rain, Sierra snow arrive next week with cold storms
• The Modesto Bee (Calif.): The Modesto area has gone 35 days without rain. A change is in the air
• The New York Times: Track the latest atmospheric river to hit the West Coast
• The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.): El Niño is on the way: What that means for California’s weather