October 8, 2020 – Dry weather and much cooler the next several days with some light precipitation on Saturday mainly over the mountains and north end of the valley. Wildfire smoke will also be reduced to some extent. Then warmer weather with dry northerly winds return next week.

Discussion

A weak dry disturbance from the remnants of Marie will move through today and bring some cooler air and an abundance of high clouds into the region. This will lower temperatures 5 to 15 degrees over yesterdays highs. Better flow through the Delta than recently will help to keep the Sacramento region much cooler today.

A low pressure area further northwest of the disturbance is expected to stay well off the coast on Friday and move off the Southern California coast for Saturday becoming cut off from the jet stream. All models continue to indicate no rain over the interior.

A second low pressure system will start to move over the region Saturday and Saturday night. Models differ on the strength of the low and the amount of precipitation but have continued to scale back on the amount of precipitation. Have reduced the amount of precipitation going with WPC guidance again. Light rainfall now seems limited to the mountains and north end of the valley.

A low pressure area will be moving east of the region on Sunday with high pressure building over the region producing northerly winds. As surface high pressure spreads into the Great Basin stronger winds are expected to develop Sunday night into Monday morning. Winds look to be below advisory level at this time but strong enough that it will likely cause some wildfire concerns since precipitation should be very light.

Extended Discussion (Monday through Thursday)

A warming trend will occur early next week before temperatures level off as zonal flow aloft is expected. Several weak disturbances will move through the Pacific Northwest next week that will help to keep northerly winds in the forecast for the valley and easterly winds in the mountains.

Winds look like they will become breezy at times but are currently expected to stay below wind advisory levels but will increase wildfire concerns.