Thunderstorms and lightning pose fire risk in Sacramento region

(FOX40.COM) — Rain and thunderstorms could happen sporadically across the Sacramento area and other parts of Northern California this Tuesday for the second day in a row.

The National Weather Service said thunderstorms are possible over the Sacramento Valley and the Sierra Nevada through the evening, with the highest chances near the Sierra Crest (the center of the mountain range), south of Highway 50.

According to the NWS, there is a 10 to 15% chance of thunderstorms in the Valley and foothills, with a 15 to 30% chance in the mountains.

On Monday evening there was thunderstorm activity south of Stockton, with several lightning strikes recorded.

Live Weather & Maps
• Live Weather Radar
• Weather News
• Weather Email Alerts
• Live Traffic Map

The precipitation stems from a plume of moisture over the Pacific Ocean moving north and across California, according to FOX40 Chief Meteorologist Adam Epstein.

Several vegetation fires started on Monday afternoon throughout Northern and Central California, and while the exact cause for each individual fire is largely still unknown, lightning is one of the common natural causes of a vegetation fire or wildfire in the state.

On Tuesday morning, a FOX40.com team reporting from the area of the Apache Fire in Butte County spotted light showers.

The FOX40 Weather Center shows high temperatures in the low to mid-90s for the rest of the week, with lows in the high 50s and low 60s, with partly cloudy skies on Tuesday and sunny skies the rest of the week.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40.