The temperature roller coaster ride continues with an area of low pressure expected to move through the region this weekend. The center of low pressure will stay to our north over the Pacific Northwest, but we’ll be close enough for a cold front to swing through, and see some rain.
Rain totals will be higher north of I-80 and closer to the center of low pressure. Highs this weekend will be in the 70s and not as cold as last weekend, but cooler than it has been.
It won’t rain the entire weekend, but if you plan on going camping be prepared for rain, especially in the mountains Saturday night and Sunday morning. Initially there will be a lot of shadowing, but a stronger cold front will move through late Saturday, giving the valley a chance for rain too. Rain totals will be light in the valley, totaling less than a tenth of an inch.
The Sierra could see a few tenths by late Sunday. Higher amounts will be found close to the Oregon border. There is also a slight chance that a thunderstorm will develop this weekend, but more than likely it will just be rain.
A pretty large area of low pressure is located west of Seattle and in the ocean. While the center of low pressure will stay to our north, we will be close enough to catch the tail end of it. Little pieces of energy will rotate around the bottom of the low, giving us a chance for rain as well. The first wave will move through late Friday into Saturday morning. This will drop temperatures into the 70s for the weekend, keep skies cloudy, and kick up our winds.
A stronger wave will move through late Saturday into Sunday morning. This will give the Sierra and valley the best chance for rain this weekend. As the low moves north, divergence can be found over northern Nevada. Divergence is a weather term that meteorologists look at, and can lead to rain. Divergence is when the isobars (lines of equal pressure) spread a part allowing the air to rise. Divergence will be found aloft Saturday evening.
There will also be a decent amount of moisture to work with this weekend. A lot of the moisture will come up from the sub tropics. This will give the Sierra a good chance for rain this weekend. It won’t rain the entire weekend, but when it does rain there, it could be heavy. There will be some shadowing too, keeping most of the rain in the Sierra. High pressure moves back in next week allowing temperatures to warm. Highs will be in the 90s by next Friday.
