Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Sacramento, CA

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521 FXUS66 KSTO 222045 AFDSTO Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sacramento CA 145 PM PDT Sat Jun 22 2024 .SYNOPSIS...
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Hot weather continues through today, with warm and mostly dry weather then expected through the remainder of the weekend and into the week ahead. A cool down to near normal temperatures is then anticipated by the end of the week.
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&& Key Points - A Heat Advisory remains in effect through 8 pm this evening as high temperatures into the triple digits are expected this afternoon within the Advisory area. - Widespread Moderate HeatRisk is expected today and Sunday, with areas of Major HeatRisk today. Areas of Moderate HeatRisk remain in the Valley Monday through Wednesday. Short-Term Discussion (Today THROUGH Tuesday)... As of early this afternoon, latest GOES-West satellite imagery shows clear skies across interior NorCal. These clear skies and generally light winds are allowing temperatures to warm, with most Valley locations already well into the 90s and upper 70s to 80s elsewhere. While a south to west breeze will begin to pick up through the afternoon and early evening hours, high temperatures are still expected to reach the triple digits throughout the Valley and adjacent foothills locations and top off in the 80s to mid 90s at higher elevations. Occasional late day gusts of 15 to 25 mph will be possible through the Valley and Delta, with strongest winds anticipated within the Delta vicinity. Moving into Sunday, an upper level trough looks to eject eastward along the Washington/Canadian border as broad ridging over the southern CONUS shifts slightly westward. While overall appreciable impacts are not anticipated, a slight cool down and more widespread breezy winds will accompany this transient pattern shift. As a result, widespread moderate HeatRisk today is expected to become confined to the Valley and foothills on Sunday, with only localized moderate HeatRisk areas persisting through midweek. Corresponding high temperatures in the 90s to low triple digits will be possible across the Valley and foothills, with 70s to 80s at higher elevations. Otherwise, onshore flow is expected to continue as well, with breezy to occasionally gusty, late day south to west winds. Additionally, there is a weak signal within ensemble guidance that a transient lobe of monsoonal moisture may trek northward to areas south of the I-80 corridor on Tuesday. This may result in a brief window for isolated shower or thunderstorm development along the Sierra on Tuesday afternoon before quickly transitioning eastward off the Sierra crest. Current probabilities of thunderstorm development remain around 10 to 15% at this time, but any thunderstorms that may develop will be capable of brief heavy rainfall, gusty winds, and lightning. && .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Wednesday THROUGH Saturday)...
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Cluster analysis continues to indicate that generally southwesterly flow aloft will remain in place through Wednesday. This will allow for slightly above normal temperatures to persist. An upper level trough then looks to move through the Pacific Northwest across the late week period. Resultant lowering heights will lead to temperatures cooling to near normal for Thursday and Friday, with primarily low to mid 90s throughout the Valley and 70s to 80s at higher elevations. Ensemble guidance then depicts some uncertainty in the upper level pattern moving into next weekend, but is beginning to indicate a gradual warming trend through the end of the extended forecast period.
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&& .AVIATION...
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Breezy south to west surface winds (occasional gusts 15-20 kts) across interior NorCal through 06z. Sustained surface winds then below 12 kts outside of the Delta overnight. VFR conditions expected through the forecast period.
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&& .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
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Heat Advisory until 8 PM PDT this evening for Central Sacramento Valley-Motherlode-Mountains Southwestern Shasta County to Western Colusa County-Northern Sacramento Valley-Northern San Joaquin Valley-Southern Sacramento Valley.
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&& $$