Mainly dry and cool through Saturday – warm, dry, and breezy next week

October 9, 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 starting Sunday and continuing into next week.

Discussion

A low pressure area centered 37N and 132W is expected to stay well off the coast today 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 with just some high clouds spreading over most of the area today.

A second low pressure system will start to move over the region Saturday and Saturday night. Models indicate just some very light precipitation with any chances limited to the mountains and north end of the valley.

The 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 elevated wildfire concerns since any precipitation should be very light to none.

Temperatures will continue to warm through Tuesday becoming around ten degrees above seasonal normals. North to east winds will continue.

Extended discussion (Tuesday through Friday)

Above normal temperatures as high pressure builds over the Eastern Pacific. Several weak disturbances will move through the Pacific Northwest that will help to keep northerly winds in the forecast for the valley and easterly winds(at night and morning) in the mountains.

Winds look like they may become breezy at times but are currently expected to stay below wind advisory levels.

Since this weekend’s precipitation chances have evaporated, fire season will continue largely uninterrupted with the extremely dry fuels which will bring elevated and/or possibly critical fire weather conditions to the region.