October 24, 2018 – Warm and dry conditions for the remainder of the week. High temperatures will return to well above average beginning Thursday.
Discussion
The short-wave trough that brought the cloudiness and cooler temperatures to the region yesterday is moving out of the PacNW into western Canada. Another batch of high clouds is spilling over the building ridge over the eastern Pacific into NorCal. Current temperatures are mostly cooler compared to 24 hours ago and range from the mid 20s in the mountain valleys to the 40s to lower 50s across the Central Valley. Temperatures will begin to warm a bit today as weak ridging returns. Ridging from the eastern Pacific builds along the West Coast beginning Thursday and continuing into the weekend resulting in further warming of max temperatures to well above average. The dry pattern with light winds and relatively clear skies will also result in cool overnight lows for most locales.
Extended Discussion (Sunday through Wednesday)
A cooling trend is expected early next week as an upper level trough brushes through late Sunday through Monday. Temperatures on Sunday are expected to remain above normal levels, dropping to around normal for Monday and Tuesday. The bulk of the energy and moisture will remain to the north, though the northern Coastal Range could see a little light rain overnight Sunday. Otherwise, dry weather is expected across the area through mid week. Northerly winds are expected to increase early next week as a strong surface gradient develops. Current timing has winds increasing Monday afternoon and continuing through Tuesday, potentially into Wednesday. Winds could be quite breezy on the west side of the Valley, potentially gusting to 35-40 mph on Tuesday. This along with low humidity could bring potential fire weather concerns. Wednesday looks a little warmer as upper level ridging develops. This will bring above normal temperatures and dry weather for outdoor holiday activities.