Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Winds & Clean Air on the Way

This should the last day of smoky skies as the winds come in Thursday.

An excerpt


The lid's coming off
Cool temperatures, strong winds forecast
By Chris Bowman - Bee Staff WriterPublished 12:00 am PDT Wednesday, September 13, 2006


Relief is around the corner.

Today should mark the end of the double siege of smog and smoke that have enveloped the Sacramento region this week, resulting in area health alerts.

Breathing will get easier Thursday and on through the weekend as a cold low- pressure system drops into Northern California and bursts an atmospheric lid trapping close-to-the-ground pollutants and smoke from the Ralston timber fire near Foresthill, forecasters said.

The weather flip should feel like the arrival of fall -- with a thump.

Temperatures may be more than 20 degrees cooler on Friday than Tuesday's high of 96 degrees. Snow levels may lower to 6,000 feet in the northern Sierra.

The National Weather Service called the predicted drop "drastic."

Friday may make the top 10 list for the region's lowest temperatures on record for Sept. 15, the service's forecast said.