The National Weather Service is warning that a potent and dangerous heat wave will affect our area beginning on Friday.
Gradual warming and dry conditions will move across the Sierra and Western Nevada beginning today and continuing through early next week.
High pressure building into Nevada this weekend and early next week will bring record setting high temperatures. Isolated thunderstorms are possible along the Sierra crest Thursday through Saturday and will spread north into far western Nevada by early next week.
Today
High pressure begins to build into Nevada today with drying conditions and warmer temperatures expected.
Clear skies and increasing heights aloft will result in daytime highs near average this afternoon. Models indicate a decent surface thermal gradient as a thermal low strengthens across the basin and range.
As high pressure continues to expand and strengthen through the end of the week, temperatures will increase significantly with 8-10 degrees of warming each day. Near record to record-setting temperatures are forecast by the end of the week with triple-digit readings across many lower valley locations in northeastern California and western Nevada.
Very hot temperatures, combined with just enough mid-level moisture, are likely to trigger thunderstorms along the sierra crest through the end of the week.
As we get to the weekend it will remain very hot, with record setting temperatures for the weekend and all-time highs not out of the question for Monday.
Expect highs to average 100-108 for western Nevada valleys and 85-95 in the Sierra valleys 6000 feet and above. The hottest day is expected to be Monday when overnight lows will only drop down to the 60s to low 70s.
With the hot temperatures and warm overnight lows, heat advisories are likely as early as Sunday.
The National Weather Service is also concerned about the probablility of thunderstorms beginning Sunday afternoon.
Along the Sierra crest with the moisture and the hot temps Monday looks like the best chance for afternoon and evening thunderstorms.
For more information you can click here for current conditions at LassenWeatherNetwork.com.
