Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Sacramento, CA
Issued by NWS Sacramento, CA
607 FXUS66 KSTO 212015 AFDSTO Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sacramento CA 115 PM PDT Tue May 21 2024 .SYNOPSIS... Warm and dry weather continues. Breezy north winds Thursday. Minor cooling this weekend before warming returns next week. && .DISCUSSION... Current GOES-West visible satellite imagery depicts abundant sunshine being observed across interior northern California on this Tuesday afternoon. Temperatures are currently trending approximately 3 to 8 degrees warmer than this time yesterday, valid at 1 PM PDT. The north to east winds have decreased across the area for the most part (compared to yesterday) with gusts of around 15 to 25 mph now being observed this afternoon, and continued decrease is expected through the day. A system passes to the north late Wednesday into Thursday bringing some slightly cooler temperatures later in the week, as well as another round of locally breezy northerly winds behind it on Thursday. Strongest winds are expected in the Sacramento Valley where gusts of 20 to 35 mph are forecast. Any precipitation with this looks to be well to the north and east of our forecast area. By the end of the week and into the weekend, a trough with northwest flow will be bringing temperatures down slightly. Guidance is suggesting a slight chance for a shower or thunderstorm over the Sierra Crest south of Highway 88 Friday afternoon, but otherwise dry conditions prevail. Mainly Minor Heat Risk continues in the Valley and into the lower foothills the rest of this week, with Little to No Risk in the upper foothills and mountains. && .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Saturday THROUGH Tuesday)... The aforementioned trough will bring temperatures down to near or slightly below the climatological normal for late May, with the coolest temperatures expected on Saturday where Heat Risk is at Little to None for most of interior northern California. High pressure then begins to build back in Sunday and into next week, bringing gradual day to day warming and Minor Heat Risk to the Valley and foothills. Overall quiet and warm weather is in store for Memorial Day Weekend with periods of locally breezy onshore flow. && .AVIATION... VFR conditions with surface winds under 12 kts over the next 24 hours. Periods of north winds 10-15 kts across the Northern Sacramento Valley and western portions of the Valley after 18z Wed. && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$