High winds, heat wave entering north state

The north state will experience wind gusts and a seasonal heat wave this week entering the month of April, after a weekend which already saw a heat wave Saturday in Northern California.

Although a weather system passing to the east brought a slight cool down and breezy north to east winds Monday morning, temperatures will rise midweek according to National Weather Service Sacramento.

Meteorologist Emily Heller said Monday breezier strong winds will continue Tuesday afternoon, though lighter in the valley throughout Butte County. Lower elevation gusts will hit around 2545 mph and in the county’s mountains and foothills will rise to 3055 mph.

A high pressure system will increase temperatures up to around 80 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday and even warmer countywide

Thursday, at about 10 to 20 degrees above the annual average for the season.

Heller said the end of March is a normal period for getting “bursts of heat” in the Sacramento Valley.

“March and April are a very transitional time for us,” Heller said. “It’s not uncommon to see these (heat waves).”

The week started relatively dry and humidity is not likely to rise past 30% by Friday, as the weather remains mostly hot and dry.

Heller said currently, projections are showing a change in the weather system which may bring clouds and precipitation in the late weekend and Sunday. However, she said as of Monday nothing is set for chances of actual precipitation amounts, but temperatures will cool down to highs in the upper 60s or low 70s.