Sacramento woke up to a classic Delta morning on Wednesday, with clear skies and a bit of chill in the air, as temperatures settled in the upper 40s to low 50s. That cool start will not last long. Sunshine is expected to drive readings into the upper 70s and around 80 degrees this afternoon, so the ride home from work should feel a lot warmer than the commute in. Light winds and dry air should keep it comfortable across the city.
Warm, Sunny Midweek
The sunny streak sticks around through late week. Valley highs are projected to be near 80 on Wednesday, then climb into the mid 80s Thursday and Friday, with overnight lows generally holding in the low-to-mid 50s. Winds are expected to stay light, which means outdoor plans should be pretty easy to pull off. According to the National Weather Service, no watches or warnings are in effect for the metro area.
Mountain Showers Tonight
The one wrinkle is in the Sierra. Forecasters are calling for one more round of afternoon and evening mountain showers and isolated thunderstorms, mainly over higher terrain, with roughly a 20 to 30 percent chance of thunder this evening. Any stronger cells could bring brief heavy downpours, small hail or lightning, so hikers and mountain travelers will want to keep an eye on the sky. The National Weather Service notes the trough should clear tonight, with high pressure building Wednesday through Saturday and a possible system late this weekend into early next week, although confidence in that system remains low.
What This Means For Plans
For most valley plans, count on a dry, warm afternoon that is tailor-made for patios, park time or knocking out errands without dodging raindrops. If you are heading into the Sierra tonight or over the weekend, pack a rain layer and steer clear of exposed ridgelines when thunderstorms are in the area, since visibility and road conditions can change quickly. If that late-weekend system looks stronger, we will be watching, but for now it is a good window to enjoy the sunshine while it holds.
