It doesn't usually take much for Northern California, by late May, to start looking ahead to its long, dry summer.

But on Tuesday, Davis got a sharp reminder that the weather doesn't always follow the seasonal script, as Newsweek detailed.

What happened?

The outlet reported that a rare late-May thunderstorm drenched the city with nearly a month's worth of rain in just a few hours and sent temperatures plunging by more than 20 degrees.

Storm chaser Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) shared striking footage on X of the weather event.

One of the most insane thunderstorm I've ever seen just rolled through Davis, California.

Local weather stations recorded nearly 0.50" of rain in 5 minutes. Temperature dropped over 20 degrees down from 70s to high 40s. pic.twitter.com/wJIg87Udwd

— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) May 27, 2026

"One of the most insane thunderstorms I've ever seen just rolled through Davis, California," McCarthy wrote. 

Newsweek noted the burst of wet weather was especially striking in Davis, which sits about 15 miles west of Sacramento. It's a part of the state where May is typically a fairly quiet month for rainfall, according to the outlet.

Newsweek reported that a slow-moving low-pressure system drove showers and isolated storms across the Sacramento Valley on Tuesday, bringing intense downpours to and around the city. 

The National Weather Service said parts of Davis picked up more than half an inch of rain in a single day. Davis averages just 0.73 inches of rain for the entire month of May, NWS meteorologist Katrina Hand told Newsweek.

Hand told Newsweek that official totals ranged from 0.18 inches to 0.57 inches, depending on location. Unofficial reports topped an inch in some cases.

"It's possible the heavier core of precipitation wasn't right over the weather stations we have access to," Hand confided to Newsweek. "With any thunderstorm, you can have brief periods of heavy rain."

Why does it matter?

Heavy rain this late in the season is unusual in Northern California, where winter is generally the wet season, as Newsweek noted. 

When a brief storm drops a large share of a month's rainfall all at once, it can quickly create slick roads, standing water, and localized flooding, especially in urban areas where runoff has fewer places to go.

As human-fueled changes to the climate continue to grow, more extreme and intense weather events are a possibility. When that translates to more severe flooding, it can lead to dangerous driving conditions, damage to homes and businesses, and potential injuries and loss of life.

That threatens economic stability, public health, and the community's safety.

What's being done?

At the time, the NWS Sacramento office warned that isolated thunderstorms could continue throughout the week, bringing chances for short bursts of heavy rain, lightning strikes, small hail, strong gusts, funnel clouds, and possible weak tornadoes.

After these storms, residents in Davis probably no longer have to be reminded that weather doesn't always go to plan. As the climate gets more unpredictable, an impromptu wet season can pop up at any moment.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.