Gusty north to east winds persist through today alongside cooler temperatures. A gradual cooling trend prevails from the weekend into next week, with cold morning lows and areas of morning frost possible. Near to below freezing morning lows with areas of frost over the weekend and into next week.
Discussion
As of early this morning, mostly clear skies are evident over interior NorCal via latest GOES-West imagery. Troughing prevails over the Great Basin region, leaving interior NorCal underneath stout north-northwesterly flow aloft. This is resulting in gusty winds continuing overnight and into the day today. Strongest winds remain from the I-5 corridor westward where occasional gusts 35 to 45 mph will be possible. Elsewhere over the Sierra, gusts to 40 mph will also be possible.
Winds aside, high temperatures today are expected to fall about 5 to 10 degrees lower than yesterday. Dry northerly flow will keep precipitation chances very low, with a less than 5% chance of showers over portions of the Sierra today.
Moving into the weekend, the overall weather pattern looks to remain relatively stagnant. Winds will begin to lighten late Friday into Saturday, but will still remain breezy as the Great Basin trough only gradually exits the region. Valley high temperatures look to stay in the low 60s Saturday and Sunday, with upper 40s to low 50s in the mountains.
Overnight low temperatures will also begin to drop, especially as winds lessen and skies remain mostly clear. Saturday and Sunday morning looks to see widespread Valley low temperatures in the mid 30s, with a few low 30s possible around the Valley floor. A few isolated instances of patchy frost will be possible as a result.
Monday morning looks to see more widespread Valley low temperatures in the lower 30s, with increasing chances for more widespread frost possible.
Be sure to plan ahead and take the necessary precautions to protect pets, plants, and people.
Extended Discussion (Tuesday through Friday)
Ensemble guidance indicates that upper level ridging looks to build in across the early week and persist into midweek. This will result in a continued period of quiet and dry weather for interior NorCal, albeit alongside a gradual cooling trend. A 40-60% chance of low temperatures lower than 32F throughout the Valley will be possible Tuesday morning, with high temperatures settling in the upper 50s across the Valley through midweek.
Be sure to continue to plan ahead and take the necessary precautions to protect pets, plants, and people!
Furthermore, while still quite a ways out, there is a signal within ensemble guidance at a possible pattern change with potential for increasing precipitation chances late next week.