Dry and seasonably hot conditions will continue into the weekend

July 29, 2020 – Seasonably hot conditions are expected across the region through the week with dry weather forecast to prevail.

Discussion

Infrared satellite imagery reveals clear skies across central and northern California this early Wednesday morning. Marine stratus is blanketing almost the entire California coastline with a depth of around 1,200 ft at the Fort Ord Profiler.

San Francisco to Sacramento surface pressure gradient is around 2.6 mb, providing a decent Delta Breeze at Travis Air Force Base with 27 kt gusts over the last hour.

The main synoptic driver for the region over the next several days will be a strengthening upper level ridge over the Desert Southwest. This positioned with an upper level low several hundred miles west of the Pacific Northwest will promote a dry, southwest flow over central and northern California.

Highs today will range from 90s in the Delta region, southern Sacramento Valley, and northern San Joaquin Valley, to the upper 90s to low 100s for the northern Sacramento Valley. These values are within about 4 deg F of late July climatological normals.

While a quick- moving shortwave trough will ripple through the southwest flow on Thursday, not expecting much in the day-to-day change in high temperatures. The dry and seasonably hot conditions will continue into Friday and into the weekend.

Extended Discussion (Sunday through Wednesday)

Little change is expected through the extended period, with seasonal temperatures and dry weather continuing.

Four Corners ridging extends into NorCal bringing high temperatures about 5 degrees above normal Sunday afternoon. An upper level trough will move into the Pacific Northwest shifting the ridge axis eastward. Onshore flow will increase, including the Delta Breeze, bringing some slight cooling Sunday night into the middle of next week. By Wednesday, high and low temperatures should be down to around normal levels, with a weak coastal trough along the coast.