166  
FXUS66 KSTO 301907  
AFDSTO  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA  
1207 PM PDT THU APR 30 2026  
 
FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON WEATHER AND EXPECTED IMPACTS OVER THE  
NEXT 7 DAYS, PLEASE VISIT WEATHER.GOV/STO/BRIEFING.  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
 
- MOSTLY DRY WEATHER AND WARMING TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE END OF  
THE WEEK WITH ISOLATED MOUNTAIN SHOWER/THUNDERSTORMS  
 
- NEXT SYSTEM THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH SHOWERS,  
HIGH ELEVATION MOUNTAIN SNOW SHOWERS, THUNDERSTORMS, COOLER  
TEMPERATURES AND BREEZY WINDS  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
   
..TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY  
 
LATEST SATELLITE IMAGERY FROM GOES-WEST SHOWS SUNNY SKIES ACROSS  
MUCH OF INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WITH JUST A FEW HIGH CLOUDS  
PASSING OVER THE NORTHERN AREAS AND SOME CUMULUS OVER THE  
MOUNTAINS. TEMPERATURES ARE CURRENTLY TRENDING AROUND 3 TO 6  
DEGREES WARMER THAN THIS TIME 24 HOURS AGO. UPPER LEVEL RIDGING  
OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST IS BRINGING CONTINUED WARMING AND  
DRYING CONDITIONS TO THE REGION, ALONG WITH LIGHT WINDS. FORECAST  
HIGHS WILL WARM TO THE 70S TO 80S FOR THE VALLEY AND FOOTHILLS,  
AND UPPER 50S TO 70S IN THE MOUNTAINS. RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL  
TREND SLIGHTLY LOWER TODAY AND FRIDAY. A FEW STRAY SHOWERS OR AN  
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS SOUTH OF  
US HIGHWAY 50 THIS AFTERNOON, AND AGAIN OVER THE SIERRA AND COAST  
RANGE ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON (UP TO 10 TO 15 PERCENT).  
   
..SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY  
 
CONFIDENCE CONTINUES TO INCREASE IN A PATTERN CHANGE TO UNSETTLED  
WEATHER OVER THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. RENEWED  
PRECIPITATION CHANCES ARE FAVORED OVER THIS TIMEFRAME, IN SHOWERS,  
HIGH ELEVATION MOUNTAIN SNOW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE  
LATEST FORECAST HAS THE STORM TOTAL PRECIPITATION TRENDING  
SLIGHTLY HIGHER, WITH SNOW AMOUNTS TRENDING SLIGHTLY LOWER. ONLY  
MINOR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE FORECAST AT THE HIGHEST PEAKS (UP TO  
1 TO 2 INCHES) WITH SNOW LEVELS ABOVE THE PASSES. THE NATIONAL  
BLEND OF MODELS (NBM) CURRENTLY ADVERTISES A 10 TO 20 PERCENT  
CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ON SATURDAY AND MONDAY, WITH A 20 TO 40  
PERCENT CHANCE ON SUNDAY WITH BEST CHANCES OVER HIGHER TERRAIN.  
MODEL SOUNDINGS ARE INDICATING SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS THE  
BEST POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. WE WILL  
CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THE CONDITIONS AS WE GET CLOSER. INDIVIDUALS  
SHOULD CHECK BACK FREQUENTLY FOR FORECAST UPDATES AT WEATHER.GOV.  
COOLER TEMPERATURES AND PERIODICALLY BREEZY ONSHORE WINDS CAN ALSO  
BE ANTICIPATED WITH THIS STORM SYSTEM. PRECIPITATION TAPERS OFF  
ON TUESDAY WITH A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS OVER THE MOUNTAINS, WITH  
DRIER WEATHER RETURNING BY WEDNESDAY.  
 
 
   
AVIATION  
 
VFR CONDITIONS AT TAF SITES NEXT 24 HOURS. LIGHT SURFACE WINDS  
GENERALLY 10 KTS OR LESS EXCEPT IN THE DELTA WITH WEST-SOUTHWEST  
WINDS 10 TO 15 KTS. ISOLATED LIGHT SHOWERS MAY DEVELOP OVER THE  
SIERRA SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 50 FROM 18Z-03Z THURSDAY, AND AGAIN ON  
FRIDAY AFTER 18Z IN THE SIERRA AND COAST RANGE.  
 
 
   
STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
NONE.  
 
 
 
 
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
The Nexlab CA Page
Main Text Page