The National Weather Service in Sacramento has advised that gusty winds will prevail today with mostly dry conditions expected, barring a few lingering, light showers south of Highway 50. According to the Area Forecast Discussion, while a dry spell and cold morning lows are anticipated through mid-week, we might see the return of more active weather towards the weekend.
In the early hours, radar and satellite visuals showed isolated showers along Interstate 80 southwards, alongside light snowfall along and east of the Sierra crest. The NWS Sacramento report indicated that additional snowfall on the west slope of the Sierra is likely to be limited due to the easterly upslope nature of this precipitation. As for the winds, though brisk to gusty today, they are expected to stay below Wind Advisory criteria. The strongest gusts, up to 45 mph, are projected along the Sierra crest, while gusts of 20 to 30 mph may still turn up across portions of the northern and central Sacramento Valley.
The coming week's conditions are set to be calmer, as a result of the cut off low's slow eastward ejection and high pressure building aloft. This shift will bring a period of calmer weather to interior NorCal, paired with chilly morning temperatures and potential low elevation frost and fog. Highs are predicted to be consistent with today's, but the overnight clear skies and light winds could lead Valley morning lows to drop into the lower 30s at least through Wednesday morning. The NWS Sacramento advised, "Be sure to take measures now to protect pets, plants, and people, especially those more susceptible to cold weather impacts!"
Looking ahead, the forecast for the latter part of the week remains uncertain. While a slow-moving Pacific frontal system could bring light precipitation to interior NorCal by Friday, model discrepancies increase for the weekend. The Extended Discussion section of the NWS report states, "EC brings another trough through over the weekend with continued unsettled weather, while GFS limits precip to northern portions of the CWA under more upper ridging." In terms of aviation, mainly VFR conditions are forecasted over interior NorCal for the next 24 hours, with local MVFR/IFR conditions possible in the eastern foothills/Sierra Nevada due to occasional light showers or snow showers through 06z Monday.
