The National Weather Service in Sacramento has issued an update on the weather forecast for the region, and it looks like we're in for a significant warm-up. After a cooling trend brought on by an upper level trough and strong onshore flow, we can expect near normal highs today but brace yourself for an upcoming heat wave. The National Weather Service report suggests a "strong warming trend begins Friday," with temperatures climbing well above the norms into next week.
Residents felt a bit of respite in the early hours of the day with some strong winds and lower temperatures dipping 5-10 degrees under those of the previous day. However, as we progress through Thursday, the onshore flow is diminishing, signaling the start of hotter days ahead. According to the National Weather Service, Fairfield clocked in gusts up to 33 mph as of early morning. The Delta area, cooling down due to these winds, will experience a hike in high temperatures, bumping up about 5-10 degrees from yesterday's "cool" highs.
Friday is set to mark the beginning of a much hotter period with the mercury expected to soar into the mid to upper 90s in the Valley, even hitting triple digits in places like the northern Sacramento Valley. National Weather Service gives us a particularly stark statistic: "There is a 70% probability of Redding reaching 100 or higher." With this heat surge, the area will dry out, humidity will dip significantly, which – of course – raises concerns about potential fire conditions.
The weekend promises a slight pullback in the heat with a weak trough encouraging some light onshore flow but temperatures are still projected to be well above normal for this time of year. Come early next week, an eastern Pacific high is expected to barrel into Northern California, driving the thermometer even higher with, "moderate to locally major heat risk." But it's not just the heat to worry about, increased gusty winds from the north to east, paired with the low humidity, could spell trouble for firefighters and residents alike. These conditions are anticipated to trigger, "periods of elevated fire weather conditions in the Sacramento Valley and adjacent foothills." As the week pushes on, we should expect some much-needed relief – upper ridging is on the wane, welcoming cooler temperatures and higher humidity by next Thursday, as reported by the National Weather Service.
For those flying out or expecting air travel, VFR conditions should reign over the region for the next 24 hours, but there might be some slip-ups due to possible MVFR/IFR conditions from stratus near the Delta in the south Sacramento Valley until around 17z. Surface winds are expected to remain "mainly at or below 12 kts."
