The National Weather Service in Sacramento has brought some good news for locals hoping the scorching summer heat would show some mercy; temperatures are set to linger near or even a touch below seasonal averages as we head into the weekend. According to the NWS Area Forecast Discussion, a weak shortwave trough breezing through the region is keeping the mercury at bay, with the Valley eyeing the low to mid 90s today and tomorrow. Expect a gentle respite before a stronger trough muscles its way off the coast of California and Oregon, hiking up those onshore winds particularly on Saturday and Sunday.
Winds could flex their muscles with the NWS predicting a 55 to 80% probability of southerly to southwesterly gusts hitting at least 25 mph in the northern end of the Sacramento Valley over the weekend, and 30-50% elsewhere in the Valley so while that may sound a bit gusty, the silver lining comes in the form of higher relative humidities on Saturday—touching the 40 to 60% range before they dip again on Sunday. Concerns for those living near active wildfire areas are somewhat alleviated by these conditions, but vigilance remains key, especially with a slight chance of thunderstorms in the forecast for parts of northeastern Shasta and eastern Tehama counties where storm probabilities are pegged between 10 and 20%, "highest in northeastern Shasta County."
Peering further into next week, the weather pattern standoff continues with a stubborn trough off the west coast and a burgeoning ridge over the Four Corners area, each vying for atmospheric supremacy. Forecasts suggest this meteorological tug-of-war could keep Valley highs consistently in the 90s—comfortingly routine for this time of year—and mountain temps somewhere between the rather balmy high 60s and high 80s. The detailed forecast promises a twist of uncertainty dependent on the positioning of this offshore trough, but the NWS is banking on at least a 20-55% chance that Valley thermometers won't breach 90 degrees, particularly come Monday.
For the aviation sector and hobbyist pilots alike, the skies are expected to clear, falling under the "VFR" category over the next 24 hours, which means 'visual flight rules' for the uninitiated—code for good visibility and generally favorable flying conditions,"Surface winds generally below 12 knots except local southwest to west surface wind gusts 15-25 kts after 22Z (strongest near the west Delta)" is the official word from the NWS. That said, there's no significant turbulence forecasted that should worry pilots or passengers, and in fact, the lack of weather advisories should come as a breath of fresh air for anyone taking to the skies or planning outdoor activities.
