October 16, 2019 – Dry and mild weather will continue today before a fast moving weather system brings a chance of showers tonight into Thursday morning. Another weather system will bring a chance of showers on Friday night and Saturday. Temperatures will be a little below average late this week, but will warm again early next week.
Discussion
Clear skies cover the region early this morning. Current temperatures range from the upper 20s in the mountain valleys to the upper 40s and 50s across the Central Valley.
Satellite imagery shows the initial front approaching the northwest corner of California early this morning while a large area of high clouds lies to our southwest ahead of the closed low presently near 28N/132W. This area of high clouds will spread across NorCal today ahead of the approaching deeper northern stream trough.
Precipitation will hold off until tonight as the upper trough nears and pushes a stronger cold front inland. It will be a quick moving system which will limit overall QPF. Amounts will vary from less than a tenth of an inch in the valley to around a quarter to a third of an inch over the mountains. The system will move quickly east on Thursday with only a few showers lingering near the northern Sierra crest into the afternoon.
Weak ridging and northwest flow aloft behind the trough will result in dry weather and a little milder temperatures Friday, but another fast-moving system is forecast to clip NorCal bringing some showers Friday night into Saturday.
Extended Discussion (Sunday through Wednesday)
Dry conditions return Sunday as the late week upper trough pushes east of the forecast area. Warming returns to the region early next week as ridging from the EPAC builds into NorCal. Daytime highs are expected to be 5 to 10 degrees above seasonal normals, with widespread low to mid 80s in the Valley. Periods of locally breezy northerly to easterly winds could be possible late Sunday into Monday, and again on Wednesday. However, wind speeds don`t look as strong as last week`s event.