Week ahead for Modesto runs from hot to pleasant, dry to damp

The National Weather Service forecasts a roller coaster of a week for the Modesto area.

Today should bring a high temperature near 85, with a chance of sprinkles after 11 a.m.

There’s a chance of showers before 11 p.m., then scattered sprinkles. The night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. The chance of precipitation – less than a 10th of an inch – is 30 percent.

Tuesday’s high should be near 78, with a light wind. A west-northwest wind that night will be 7 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.

The temperature drop is expected to continue into Wednesday, when the high will be near 75.

Then Thursday, the cooling trend will reverse, bringing an expected high near 83. Friday’s high is expected to be near 88.

The weekend should be back into the 90s – a Saturday high near 91, and Sunday near 94.

Though the weather service forecast says most days of the week will be mostly sunny, smoke from the Butte fire burning in Amador and Calaveras counties continues to hang in the Valley air.

The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District’s air quality forecast for today for Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Merced counties is “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”

To keep up with the district’s air quality forecasts and its Real-Time Air Advisory Network, go to www.valleyair.org.

This story was originally published September 14, 2015 at 8:11 AM with the headline "Week ahead for Modesto runs from hot to pleasant, dry to damp."