DAYS 1-5 (MAY 16-20)
A combination of warm advection cloud cover and Canadian wildfire smoke has our sky a hazy grey to start the day today, but we’ll break into some filtered sun at times midday and beyond, and it’ll warm up nicely, with many areas making a run at 80 for high temps, along with a gusty wind. This dry and windy combo also has our brush fire danger quite elevated. Any brushfires can spread rapidly on a day like today. This will also be the case tomorrow, regarding the fire threat, but the weather will be much different. A cold front sweeps through the region from north to south tonight, with a threat of a brief shower at most, and it’s right back to dry weather with a gusty wind and temperatures barely cracking 60 Wednesday. As high pressure builds over the region and the wind drops off at night, radiational cooling will allow the temperature to drop below 40 in many areas, exception urban centers, and even blow freezing in normal cold spots. The threat of frost and isolated freeze is there for early Thursday. Temperatures rebound by about 30 to 35 degrees during the day Thursday though, so the chill will be gone by the time we reach afternoon under plenty of sunshine and a sky that should be devoid of wildfire smoke, presenting as a more cobalt blue. High pressure will bring fair, warmer weather for Friday before a trough approaches Saturday with an increase in cloud cover but continued mild to warm air. Current expecting timing on the next unsettled weather event brings a shower threat by Saturday evening.
TODAY: Smoke aloft while clouds give way to hazy sun at times. Highs 74-81. Wind W 10-20 MPH, gusts as high as 30 MPH.
TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy. A passing shower possible. Lows 45-52. Wind shifting to N 5-15 MPH with higher gusts from north to south.
WEDNESDAY: Sun/cloud mix. Highs 58-65. Wind N 10-20 MPH, higher gusts.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Clear. Lows 28-35 interior lower elevations, 35-42 elsewhere, mildest in urban centers. Wind NW up to 10 MPH, diminishing.
THURSDAY: Sunny. Highs 62-69. Wind W increasing to 5-15 MPH.
THURSDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 47-54. Wind W 5-15 MPH.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny to partly cloudy. Highs 71-78. Wind SW 5-15 MPH.
FRIDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. Lows 52-59. Wind SW 5-15 MPH.
SATURDAY: Variably cloudy. Chance of showers by evening. Highs 67-74, coolest South Coast. Wind S 5-15 MPH.
DAYS 6-10 (MAY 21-25)
Cooling trend with dry weather returning May 21 and continuing May 22, then a slight warm-up preceding a rain chance and cool-down later in the period.
DAYS 11-15 (MAY 26-30)
Unsettled weather may start and end the period, and current cautiously optimistic timing suggests a dry Memorial Day Weekend with a cool start then a warming trend.