... Breezy to locally windy today... then turning breezy and much cooler Thursday into Friday...

Breezy to locally windy conditions will prevail much of the week across the higher elevations of the southern Sierra Nevada... the Tehachapi Mountains... and High Desert of Kern County. Locally gusty winds also will develop over the west side of the San
Joaquin Valley... mainly during the afternoon and evening hours. Patchy blowing dust will be possible near recently plowed fields.

A gradual lowering of temperatures will continue for the rest of this week as a westerly flow aloft remains across central California.

An abnormally cool low pressure area for this time of the year is forecast to begin affecting the region Thursday... continuing into Friday and Saturday. Temperatures by Friday will be some 15 to 20 degrees below normal. This system will bring a chance of showers and thunderstorms to the southern Sierra Friday and Saturday. There will be a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms over the central San Joaquin Valley and the Sierra foothills Friday afternoon and evening. Gusty winds will also accompany the system and will begin to affect the region Thursday afternoon.

Dry weather will return Sunday as the low pressure system moves east of the region. Temperatures are expected to warm to near normal Sunday... and a few degrees above normal for Memorial Day.

---