Bay Area residents can breathe a temporary sigh of relief as we're looking at mostly clear skies in the immediate future, with the National Weather Service forecasting a brief wet spell followed by warmer temperatures. According to the National Weather Service Sacramento, this Wednesday and early Thursday will see scattered rain and mountain showers, alongside breezy conditions with southerly winds. However, this should not put a damper on the weekend plans as we move towards predominantly dry weather and a warming trend.
Today, Sacramentans might encounter a 20 to 40% chance of morning fog, but passing high clouds could limit its development, "Clear and dry conditions prevail across interior Northern California this morning," says the National Weather Service. Coming precipitation totals in the valley and foothills are expected to be modest, hovering around a tenth of an inch. The Sierra foothills could get a bit more moisture, projections suggest between 0.25 to 0.5 inches. Snow enthusiasts should note that levels will remain between 4500 and 5000 feet during the event, "with up to 7 inches above 6000 feet." Winds might gust from 20 to 35 mph north of I-80 and could reach up to 45 mph along the Sierra crest.
Turning to the weekend forecast, Friday kicks off a string of rainless days. National Weather Service predicts "Predominantly dry weather is forecast Friday onward as zonal flow aloft prevails and heights begin to steadily rise." While a shortwave might bring negligible amounts of showers to the Shasta County mountains on Friday, it is not anticipated to have significant impact.
Looking further out, anticipate a touch of summer as the forecast indicates that temperatures will soar into the low 80s across the Valley by Sunday. The heat continues with "above-normal temperatures appear by Saturday, continuing through the early week," with a 50 to 80 percent probability of highs hitting the 80-degree mark in the northern and central Sacramento Valley Sunday and Monday. This warm spell brings a "widespread Minor HeatRisk across the Valley, Delta, and foothills." Thus, it's recommended to keep hydrated and make use of sunscreen during these hotter days, as stated by the National Weather Service.
For the next 24 hours, most of Northern California will have good flying conditions, but scattered showers this evening until early Thursday could cause some reduced visibility (MVFR/IFR). Pilots should watch out for gusty southerly winds, which could impact both air and ground operations. After Thursday, the weather will improve, giving a glimpse of early summer, as long as the winds don’t change the forecast.
