SACRAMENTO, California —
For those traveling this thanksgiving in California, one thing that you won’t have to worry about is the weather.
Mild, dry conditions are forecast to build in behind the pesky low pressure system that is expected to deliver more rain and snow to Northern California through Saturday before advancing east.
The bulk of the rain is still expected to fall during the Friday night to Saturday morning timeframe with 0.5-1" in the valley and up to 2" in the foothills and Sierra. Due to the possibility of heavy downpours from thunderstorms, which are listed as a 15-25% chance, some areas could even surpass these totals.
Recent model runs have trended up in snowfall totals as well, with up to 8" of snow possible above 8,000 feet, mainly south of Interstate 80. Snow levels will drop to around 6,500 feet by Saturday night as the center of the low pressure system finally moves onshore.
High pressure will dominate the weather pattern across the western United States next week, while the eastern U.S. will experience some of the coldest temperatures so far this season.
What this means for California is temperatures near to slightly above climatological average and dry weather. While there are signs of a flip back to a stormier pattern in late November and early December, there are no storms in the extended forecast for now.
High temperatures in the valley will top out in the low to mid-60s on Monday and Tuesday. After Tuesday, a mild cooling trend will drop temperatures back into the low 60s by Thanksgiving. Partly cloudy skies and light winds are expected next week.
The Climate Prediction Center favors the mild, dry weather pattern to continue through at least the next two weeks while colder conditions dominate the east.
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