Gusty winds, near-record temperature headed for Sacramento this week
Strong wind gusts are expected this week in Northern California, along with above-average temperatures in Sacramento.
The National Weather Service said northerly gusty winds could range from 40 mph to 50 mph in the Sacramento Valley on Wednesday.
NWS forecasts for the capital city show Sacramento could hit gusts up to around 26 mph Tuesday and 36 mph Wednesday.
The gusts shouldn’t approach the intense peaks from the January atmospheric river storm, which brought wind speeds over 60 mph to Sacramento.
But they’ll have the potential to knock down poles, branches and trees, especially those weakened by last month’s storm.
The wind also won’t be accompanied by precipitation this time, as forecasts predict sunny and warm conditions through the week in the valley.
Sacramento on Tuesday is forecast to reach 73 degrees, which is 11 degrees above normal and 2 degrees shy of a daily record for Feb. 23 in the city, NWS records show.
Highs will dip down to the mid-to-upper 60s the rest of the week — slightly above average — with nighttime temperatures remaining around the low 40s.
Wind will also hit South Lake Tahoe, where highs in the forecast are in the mid-40s all week except Wednesday, when NWS predicts a high of 36 and gusts around 35 mph.
This story was originally published February 22, 2021 at 6:45 AM.
