FORECAST: The Owens Valley, Mammoth and Mono County
By: Dennis Mattinson, Weather & Atmospheric Forecaster
www.easternsierraforecast.com
“Giving you the reasons why Eastern Sierra weather happens.”

WEDNESDAY August 08, 2012

A monster high pressure ridge continues to have ownership over the Western U.S. This means on-going well above normal temperatures for our district. An Excessive Heat Watch has been issued by the NWS through Friday. China Lake again was the hot spot with 108 degrees yesterday. Poor RH recovery with warm night time lows will only enhance the extreme fire danger in the area. Along with this there will be a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms over the higher terrain of Inyo and Mono Counties through the weekend.  So here is how the current heat wave should play out. Starting today it will get a little hotter each day with Friday or Saturday being the hottest. Then troughing over the PACNW enters the weather picture on Sunday, for a slight reduction in temperatures (not that a few degree drop means much) but its a start. If that trough deepens next week we will get temps heading back to normal. Stay tuned for updates.

From Cal EMA today: “Confidence is high that a strong high pressure ridge over the western U.S. will bring the hottest temperatures of the year to much of California starting Wednesday and persisting through Friday. Inland areas will see hot temperatures continue into the weekend. In the valleys and foothills of central and northern California, this event will bring the longest consecutive number of days at or above 100 degrees since 2006 and follows two mild summers (’10 and ’11).”

For the Owens Valley:

Today: Mostly sunny becoming partly cloudy. Highs 101 / lows 67. Winds SE 10 – 15 mph.
Thursday: Mostly sunny becoming partly cloudy. Highs 102 / lows 68. Winds SE 5 – 15 mph.

For the Town of Mammoth Lakes:

Today: Mostly sunny becoming partly cloudy with isolated thunderstorms possible. Highs 85 / lows 53. Winds SW 10 – 15 mph.
Thursday: Mostly sunny becoming partly cloudy 20% chance of thunderstorms. Highs 86 / lows 54. Winds SW 5 – 10 mph.

For Mono County:

Today: Mostly sunny then partly cloudy with an isolated thunderstorm possible. Highs 85 – 95 / lows 44 – 54. Winds SW 10 – 15 mph.
Thursday: Sunny becoming partly cloudy, afternoon thunderstorms possible. Highs 86 – 96 / lows 45 – 55. Winds SW 10 – 15 mph.