A ridge of high pressure off the coast will spread over California, bringing the first heat wave of 2020, the National Weather Service said. High temperatures of 85 to 95 will be common, with the hottest readings on Friday and Saturday.
January will continue to be dry in Southern California as the jet stream settles into a stable or zonal pattern, which means it flows more directly from west to east with little fluctuation. A wavy or undulating jet stream is the pattern that brings storms from the north Pacific into California. “When the winter jet stream calms down, Southern California stays dry,” says Bill Patzert, former climatologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. When the jet stream is unstable, it meanders from north to south and back again. Cold air sinks farther south and warm air is carried into higher latitudes.
Several storms have barreled across much of California since before Thanksgiving. But now, a shift in the weather pattern looks to bring calmer weather.
Storm after storm dove across the state over the past several weeks, delivering rain, wind and mountain snow.
The jet stream, which helps to influence the track storm systems take, was a big part of the reason for the recent storminess.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
