After another warm weekend, with widespread high temperatures in the 80s, California is set for a real cooldown this week.
On Monday, high temperatures won’t climb past the low 70s as a westerly breeze from the Delta carries cooler air inland to Sacramento. The result will be a noticeably more autumnal day than any of late, with passing clouds and a crisp breeze.
Further south, that cooler breeze wanes some. Even so, Modesto and Merced will see high temps in the 70s, and Fresno won’t be far behind in the low 80s.
This is all thanks a deep region of low pressure moving off the Pacific Northwest over the coming days. On its approach, it forces an onshore breeze that works to cool the Golden State with air off the Pacific Ocean.
That same region of low pressure will begin to move even closer on Tuesday, bringing more clouds and cooler overnight lows in the low 50s for Sacramento and the Delta region. From there, the low pressure region will move onshore, bringing occasional scattered showers with it through the end of the week.
On and off showers expected Wednesday through Friday
These scattered showers are expected to begin early Wednesday, first on the coast before moving inland, with consistent mostly cloudy skies Wednesday and Thursday across the Central Valley. Rain in the Valley will be sparse and light, with most areas seeing less than a tenth of an inch through Friday.
Showers will be heavier during this period along the coast and in Southern California. The Bay Area could see a quarter inch, and an inch or more is possible near Santa Barbara…