2011

The past couple of weeks have been very uneventful across nearly the entire state. A stagnant pattern combined with a pretty strong low-level temperature inversion has led to very persistent Central Valley fog for nearly two weeks straight. Temperatures under the fog have moderated considerably since last week, when highs near Sacramento did not make it out of the 30s for several days.

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This long-lived fog event may finally come to an end this week as drier northerly flow develops over the northern part of the state. Around (and above) the fog, temperatures have been very mild–with widespread 60s and 70s in many spots. I do expect relatively mild temperatures to continue for the foreseeable future across most of the state, with some slight cooler temperatures for a few days later this week as a weak inside-slider moves over the Great Basin. At this point, though, there isn’t too much to discuss regarding the weather in California. Extended mid-winter dry spells are not that unusual in California–indeed, we usually see at least one every winter. And when the westerlies to break through again later in the season, there is certainly a lot of subtropical moisture pooled over the Central Pacific to deposit on the West Coast…

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