Sporadic Rain Will Pair with Winds and Hot Weather Out West

As wildfires rage across the western U.S., an incoming storm system may usher in beneficial rainfall. However, will this much-needed precipitation come at the expense of strong winds and lightning? Read on for all of the details.

Weather Maker to Deliver Rain, Wind, and Lightning to Wildfire Region of the West

The temperatures are back on the upswing across the western U.S. heading into the weekend as a heat dome builds over this part of the country. Also on deck for the forecast is an increase in the moisture associated with the North American monsoon season.

A storm that is circulating in the upper level of the atmosphere will track to the north along the edge of an area of high pressure positioned over the western U.S. This weather maker will bring moisture up from Mexico and the Pacific Ocean and dump across portions of California and Nevada through Saturday.

The forecast is a mixed bag of news for the region that continues to see new wildfires break out across the parched terrain. While the storm will usher in the chance of welcome rainfall, it will also increase the threat of lightning strikes and strong winds. The uptick in humidity levels may also give fire crews a boost as they work to contain the blazes.

The bulk of the rainfall will likely center over the Sierra Nevada and the surrounding foothills. The storm will track farther into the Northwest throughout the weekend. By early next week, this weather maker will arrive to the northern Rockies. However, it is likely to run out of moisture by this point. This means that the associated impacts such as lightning may end up being a bigger hindrance as it relates to wildfire danger.

Diving Into a Few Individual Forecasts

It will be another scorcher of a weekend for the interior portions of the West. Boise, Idaho may see daily high records fall with temperatures forecast to hang out in the triple digits through at least Tuesday. Cloudy skies may help to take the edge off of the heat on Saturday in the capital city as the system moves through. Partly cloudy conditions on Sunday will give way to plentiful sunshine to start the week.

It will be even hotter in the Desert Southwest. Las Vegas is forecast to inch up over the 110-degree mark beginning Saturday and lasting through Tuesday. The readings will hover about 5 degrees over the historical average. It will remain warm overnight with lows bottoming out in the upper 80s in Sin City. Skies will be mostly sunny in this part of the region.

Looking at the Pacific Northwest, Portland will drop back into the mid 80s for a high on Saturday after seeing readings hit about 92 degrees on Friday. However, the mercury will soar back into the low to mid 90s on Sunday under mostly sunny skies. The Rose City will find some relief at night with lows slipping into the upper 50s during this time period.