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Hydrometeorological Discussion
National Weather Service / California Nevada RFC / Sacramento CA
730 AM PDT Sat May 18 2024

...ISOLATED SHOWERS/T-STORMS OVER THE SRN SIERRA INTO NV TODAY, 
OTHERWISE NO ORGANIZED THREAT OF PRECIP FOR THE REGION...
...GRADUAL COOLING FROM W TO E THIS WEEKEND INTO NEXT WEEK...

.METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (SAT AM - FRI AM)...

An upper ridge remains over the eastern Pacific flanked on either 
side by two upper lows as a trough approaches the PacNW. The trough 
will move through WA later today as the eastern most upper low heads 
towards CA. This will set up a troughing pattern over the region 
today continuing a cooling trend keeping coastal areas below normal 
while beginning to ease temperatures inland. Most of northern CA and 
NV will likely remain about 5-10 deg F above seasonal normals for 
today. Additionally, this pattern will allow for chances of 
showers/thunderstorms over the central/southern Sierra and into NV 
this afternoon/evening. QPF amounts should be fairly light at 0.10" 
or less with locally 0.25-0.50" possible under thunderstorms. The 
trough over the PacNW will dig deeper into the west coast the rest 
of the weekend eventually merging with the offshore upper low into 
Monday. This will keep the western U.S. in a troughing pattern early 
next week allowing for temperatures to cool down closer to seasonal 
normals with many areas even 5+ deg F below normal.

Additional systems are forecast to drop into the PacNW throughout 
the week keeping the offshore high pressure at bay and allowing for 
cooler weather to persist the rest of the period. An upper low 
moving into WA/OR on Weds may result in some light showers across 
the northern regional border Weds and Thurs with otherwise dry 
conditions anticipated. Any resulting showers are not expected to 
generate much precip (less than 0.10").

Freezing levels generally 10-13 kft across the region with 
occasional lowering to 5-8 kft across far nrn CA/srn OR and nrn NV 
as systems pass to the north.