Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Sacramento, CA
Issued by NWS Sacramento, CA
337 FXUS66 KSTO 281952 AFDSTO Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sacramento CA 1252 PM PDT Sun Apr 28 2024 .Synopsis... Mild and dry weather in store with breezy winds early next week. && It`s definitely not Groundhog Day, and I`m not Bill Murray, but the weather is more or less on repeat today. Clear skies once again prevail over the majority of interior NorCal, with seasonably warm temperatures across the area. Monday and Tuesday will see some breezy conditions, with winds gusting around 15 to 25 mph. However, the real gusty northerly winds won`t start until Wednesday. By Wednesday morning, an upper level low will have dug down from the Pacific NW over the Great Basin, with an upper level ridge moving in over NorCal from the Pacific. This pattern will increase northerly flow over the area. The strongest gusts will occur in the morning/early afternoon on Wednesday, primarily along the I-5 corridor between Red Bluff and Sacramento. Winds there have a 40 to 75% probability of gusting at 40 mph or more. This will impact driving conditions, as well as blow around loose objects. Elsewhere, gusts will range from around 15 mph to 30 mph. Other than gusty winds, the weather will be warm and dry through Wednesday. Highs in the Valley will be in the high 70s to low 80s, and higher elevations will see temperatures between the low 60s and mid 70s. //SP && .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Thursday THROUGH Sunday)... On Thursday, off-shore upper level ridging is forecast to build and continue to bring dry conditions and warm temperatures around the region. Friday, ensembles show ridging beginning to break down and allow for more zonal flow to overtake NorCal as a closed low develops in the Gulf of Alaska and digs southward. We should remain dry and warm while the upper level pattern shifts, as the closed low is projected to weaken and move inland well to our north as we move into the weekend. Weak troughing over the region will promote on-shore flow Saturday which will help cool high temperatures into the upper 70s for the Valley. Precipitation chances are introduced, mainly in northern Shasta County, the Southern Cascades, and Coastal Range, on Saturday and Sunday. High temperatures will fall into the low to mid 70s for the Valley on Sunday with cooler upper 40s to low 60s for the higher elevations. Cluster analysis reveals high variability in the forecast in the extended period, but should improve as we move into the new work week. && .AVIATION... VFR conditions next 24 hours. Surface wind gusts generally less than 12 kts. && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$