When will it rain? Warm, dry November continues across Northern California
Don’t let the warm weather fool you: It’s still November.
Daily high temperatures throughout much of Northern California have lingered in the high 70s to low 80s to start the month.
While it may feel pleasant, that’s about 10 degrees above average for this time of year across most of the Sacramento Valley. The trend should continue for a few more days, until about Thursday, forecasts show.
According to the National Weather Service, numerous daily records are vulnerable Monday – including in downtown Sacramento, where the predicted maximum of 78 degrees is just 1 degree shy of the all-time high; and in Redding, where an expected high of 86 would shoot past the record mark of 84 degrees.
Sacramento should cool down to the low 70s by Thursday and Friday, NWS forecasts predict, which is still a few degrees above normal for mid-November. Overnight low temperatures, meanwhile, could dip to the mid-40s.
Will it rain?
There’s no precipitation in sight for most of Northern California in the coming weeks.
“The extended period of dry and warm conditions are likely to continue throughout much of November,” the NWS Sacramento office said in a tweet last Friday.
The dry spell is due to a “stagnant ridge of high pressure,” which is staying parked over the West Coast, the tweet explained.
Sacramento has barely cracked one-tenth of an inch of total precipitation since the end of May: 0.04 inches fell Sept. 16, followed by 0.08 inches two days later, on Sept. 18.
Is there a high risk of fires?
Though warm, dry conditions play a big role in increasing wildfire weather conditions, the good news is that winds have been relatively calm, especially when compared with the extreme, gusty storms that plagued the state last month.
The NWS did warn of slightly elevated wildfire concerns due to breezy north winds in the foothills and Sierra Nevada mountains, starting Sunday and lasting through Monday morning.
No major new wildfire incidents had been reported as of 7 a.m. Monday, and no other advisories, such as red flag warnings or elevated fire risk warnings, have been issued by the NWS for Northern California.
