We have a dramatic shift away from winter to spring this week after cold storms dropped 2-4 feet of new snow to start April, and now we have spring for the first weekend of the month.
Weekend Weather:
We will have beautiful weather for the weekend. Mostly sunny skies each day. Highs into the 40s for Friday and then into the 50s for the lower elevations on Saturday and Sunday.
Monday Showers:
A weak system is going to brush the northern Sierra on its southern edge later Sunday night into Monday. The biggest impact is likely some clouds and gusty winds. Ridgetop winds from the SW gusting up to 50-70+ mph on Monday. Highs drop into the 40s for the lower elevations and 30s for the higher elevations.
The snow levels will likely remain near to above 8000 ft. through Monday, so only rain showers if any reach the lower elevations near the base, and maybe a coating to an inch of snow at best for the peaks.
Sunny & Warm:
Strong high pressure is still forecast to build in over the West Beyond Monday through the end of next week. We will see sunny days and clear nights with the temperatures quickly rebounding. Highs into the 50s and even into the 60s down near the base.
Long-Range Forecast:
By the 12th into the 3rd week of April, the long-range models continue to show the high-pressure ridge over the West weakening and shifting east, being replaced by troughing through at least the 14th.
The GFS model is a bit more aggressive with lower heights and a better chance for weak systems to bring precipitation. The European model shows a slight chance for weak systems as well, and they continue to show a chance for weak systems through at least the 19th.
Right now, we are not expecting a storm to bring more than some light rain and snow showers with light accumulations on the mountains. We will watch to see if any wetter storms develop through the end of the month.
BA
P.S. I’ll be shifting to an every other day or so posting schedule through the end of April, unless we see a storm develop that could bring a decent shot of snow to the mountains.
