We have a couple day break in the action before the next winter storm lines up for us. A weak and dirty ridge of high pressure is building up across California, which will still allow a few clouds to drift across the region, but will keep us dry and pump up our temperatures a bit. Look for highs to reach the mid-40s Tuesday, upper-40s Wednesday, and peak in the mid-50s Thursday as the next storm front pushes onshore. That front will bring us a decent chance of valley rain and mountain snow late Thursday. The rain could turn to valley snow showers early Friday, but it’s unlikely it will result in significant lower elevation accumulation. Things dry up and cool off back to the 40s for the weekend.

Bob asks: “I’m a little confused about the temperature at which water freezes. If it’s 32 degrees Fahrenheit at sea level is there any difference at an elevation of 4300 feet above sea level? I live in Hawthorne, NV. Some nights/early mornings my thermometer reads in the mid 20’s but I have yet to find even a thin coating of ice in a cup of water left outside overnight. What am I missing here?” I’ll tell you tomorrow.