188  
FXUS66 KSTO 021926  
AFDSTO  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA  
1226 PM PDT SAT MAY 2 2026  
 
FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON WEATHER AND EXPECTED IMPACTS OVER THE  
NEXT 7 DAYS, PLEASE VISIT WEATHER.GOV/STO/BRIEFING.  
 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
 
- CHANCE FOR SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING AND AGAIN ON  
SUNDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING FOR AREAS AROUND SHASTA COUNTY AND  
INTO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. LITTLE TO NO PRECIPITATION CHANCES  
FOR THE VALLEY.  
 
- SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES EARLY NEXT WEEK FOR THE VALLEY,  
MOUNTAINS, AND FOOTHILLS ALONG WITH WARMING TEMPERATURES BY THE  
END OF NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
   
..THIS WEEKEND
 
 
MAIN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS CA AND THE SOUTHWESTERN  
UNITED STATES THIS WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. COOLER  
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED ALONG WITH HIGHER ELEVATION  
THUNDERSTORM CHANCES, WITH LITTLE TO NO PRECIPITATION WITHIN THE  
VALLEY.  
 
CHANCES FOR SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS INCREASE THIS EVENING ACROSS  
AREAS IN SHASTA COUNTY THROUGH THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. CURRENT  
HIRES GUIDANCE HAS STORMS DEVELOPING ALONG THE COASTAL RANGE AND  
SIERRA AROUND 21-23Z AND CONTINUING THROUGH 04Z. SOME OF THE  
STORMS COULD BE ON THE STRONGER SIDE WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND  
THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME SMALL HAIL. HOWEVER, LOOKING AT SOUNDINGS  
ACROSS THE AREA, INSTABILITY IS LACKING AND SHEAR PROFILES ARE  
WEAK. NONE THE LESS, THE CHANCES ARE STILL THERE FOR SCATTERED  
THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING THIS EVENING.  
 
AS WE MOVE INTO SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING, INSTABILITY  
INCREASES ACROSS THE AREA AS THE MAIN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM MOVES  
THROUGH THE REGION. HIRES GUIDANCE HAS AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS  
DEVELOPING ALONG THE SIERRA AND MOVING THROUGH SHASTA COUNTY AND  
THE COASTAL RANGE. SHEAR PROFILES INDICATE THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW  
STRONGER STORMS TO DEVELOP AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE AREA. THIS  
WILL BE DEPENDENT ON CLOUD COVERAGE AND HOW FAST THE SURFACE CAN  
HEAT UP FOR INSTABILITY TO INCREASE. THE CHANCE IS THERE FOR A FEW  
STRONGER STORMS TO BRING FREQUENT LIGHTNING, HAIL, GUSTY WINDS,  
AND BRIEF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN RATES. IF YOU HAVE PLANS THIS  
WEEKEND HAVE A WAY TO RECEIVE ALERTS ESPECIALLY TRAVELING WITHIN  
THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS.  
   
..NEXT WEEK
 
 
CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY AFTERNOON AND  
EVENING FOR THE VALLEY, MOUNTAINS, AND FOOTHILLS. A FEW LOCATIONS  
AT THE HIGHER PEAKS WILL SEE BRIEF SNOW SHOWERS, WITH MINOR  
ACCUMULATIONS. THERE WILL BE CONTINUED CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND  
STORMS TUESDAY, WITH DRYING CONDITIONS BY WEDNESDAY.  
 
BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK, A HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BEGIN TO  
INTENSIFY ACROSS THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. AS THIS HAPPENS WE DRY  
OUT FASTER AND TEMPERATURES WARM QUICKLY. MINOR HEATRISK FOR THE  
VALLEY WEDNESDAY, WITH MORE WIDESPREAD MINOR HEATRISK THURSDAY AND  
FRIDAY. INDICATIONS ARE THERE FOR THE HEAT TO INCREASE BY NEXT  
WEEKEND AND INTO THE FOLLOWING WEEK, WITH PROBABILITIES OF SEEING  
OVER 90 DEGREES SITTING AROUND 60 PERCENT FOR THE VALLEY.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
 
VFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. WINDS REMAIN  
AROUND 5-12KTS FOR THE SITES, WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS UP TO 20KTS  
FOR THE SACRAMENTO SITES. CHANCES FOR RAIN REMAIN OVER THE  
MOUNTAINS THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT, WITH A LOW CHANCE NEAR RDD.  
WINDS GO LIGHT AND VARIABLE OVERNIGHT, WITH BKN CLOUDS.  
 

 
   
STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
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