Hydrometeorological Discussion National Weather Service / California Nevada RFC / Sacramento CA 830 AM PST Sun Dec 28 2025 ...DRY WEATHER THROUGH MID-WEEK UNDER ANOMALOUS RIDGE... ...RETURN TO WETTER PATTERN ON WEDNESDAY AS TROUGH APPROACHES FROM NORTH AND CUTOFF APPROACHES FROM SOUTH... .METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (SUN AM - SAT AM)... Ridging has continued to build over the Eastern Pacific driving dry conditions across the forecast area. This ridge is forecast to persist into mid-week before weakening and shifting east on Wednesday, keeping the forecast dry for a few days. As the ridge weakens on Wednesday, an upper level-level trough is forecast to approach northern California from the Gulf of Alaska and interact with a slow moving cutoff approaching from the south. Models are struggling to agree on the exact phasing and interaction between these two systems and, therefore, the onset and magnitude of precipitation over California. Currently, light precipitation is forecast to begin spreading northward over southern California on Wednesday morning before making its way to northern California on Thursday morning. Persistent troughing and shortwave activity from the Gulf of Alaska may keep the pattern relatively wet through the 6- day forecast window. Current forecasts primarily followed guidance from the NBM and WPC placing the heaviest accumulations of >1 inch over the southern CA coast, northern Sierra, Cape Mendocino, Santa Cruz Mountains, and Big Sur coast. A majority of the Sierra, outside of the Yuba and Feather Basins, are forecast to receive .5 to 1 inch through the end of the forecast period. Light precipitation (<.25 inches) is expected throughout the Central Valley. Freezing levels will remain above 12k feet underneath the ridge across much of the forecast area before lowering to ~5k feet across the north, ~7k feet across the southern Sierra, and 9k feet across the south during the active pattern. Please Note: This product may NOT be routinely updated. Please refer to the following product issued by the CNRFC www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/Daily-Briefing for a graphical summary of weather and hydrologic conditions. |