SACRAMENTO, Calif. — There was a welcome, albeit brief, relief from the heat today with overcast skies blanketing much of Northern California. The clouds aren't quite enough to bring substantial rain to the valley, but an occasional drop is possible through the early evening.
A large ridge of high pressure over the West is funneling moisture into the Sierra resulting in some isolated thunderstorms. Clouds from those storms began drifting west toward the coast overnight.
The National Weather Service in Monterey was lucky enough to experience a decent rain shower this morning.
Other parts of the Bay Area saw lightning strikes as well due to the relatively unstable atmosphere. Fire units near Santa Cruz have been tracking possible new lightning sparked fires throughout the day.
RELATED: Sacramento Weather Forecast
A red flag warning is in effect for portions of the state, including most of the mountain areas of northern California. Fires sparked by the lightning strikes, paired with erratic winds, moving through the region are cause for concern.
High-Resolution Rapid Refresh data shows what the radar could look like in the afternoon through the overnight hours. A lack of moisture in the lower levels of the atmosphere will likely result in most of the rain evaporating before it hits the ground.
The heat and sunny skies will return tomorrow and through Saturday as the cloud cover exits the region. A Heat Advisory remains in effect through Friday with the highest temperatures expected on Friday back near 107°. Cooler weather returns Sunday with highs back in the 90s.
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