The National Weather Service in Sacramento has issued its latest forecast, predicting a period of dry weather with occasional gusty winds until early Tuesday morning. According to the forecast discussion, winds are expected to be particularly strong across the western Sacramento Valley, the Delta, and northern Sierra.
Residents in Redding and Vacaville experienced gusts of around 25 mph this morning, while the rest of the valley saw winds at about 10 mph. The north to east winds are expected to strengthen throughout Monday. Although the low pressure system that caused a few radar blips is moving southwest, a high-pressure ridge from the Pacific Northwest is moving in, helping to maintain mostly dry and quiet conditions. The foothills and Sierra are expected to see the strongest winds, with gusts around 30 mph highly likely, and winds along the Sierra crest could reach 50 mph or more, with a 60-80% chance through Tuesday morning.
As the week progresses, the weather will remain calm, with temperatures in the valley ranging from the upper 50s to low 60s, and in the foothills and mountains, temperatures will range from the low 40s to upper 40s. While the days will be mild, nighttime temperatures are expected to drop, with lows in the 30s and frost likely at lower elevations through Thursday.
Looking past midweek, a strong upper ridge over the eastern Pacific will dominate the weather, bringing dry and warm conditions to the West Coast through the weekend and into early next week. While some northerly to easterly winds may affect the northern and eastern foothills and mountains on Saturday, the pressure gradient is expected to weaken, leading to a decrease in wind gusts. According to the NWS, these conditions are setting up a period of dry weather with temperatures near seasonal averages.
Aviators and travelers can expect VFR conditions to prevail across interior Northern California over the next 24 hours, with the exception of localized MVFR conditions that may develop due to mist in the southern Sacramento and northern San Joaquin Valleys after 07z Tuesday. Surface winds from the north will reach up to 20 knots, with gusts occasionally reaching 30 knots in the Sacramento Valley until 01z Tuesday. The foothills and mountains to the north and east will experience northeast winds of 15-25 knots, with gusts ranging from 30-40 knots during the same period.
