Blame Fabio

Why was Sacramento suddenly cloudy this morning? Blame Fabio, weather experts say:

While temperatures around Los Angeles and across the globe are hitting record highs, the Sacramento area is getting a one-day reprieve from its normal hot and dry weather due to the remnants of a dissipating tropical storm system off the coast of Southern California, according to the National Weather Service.

Hurricane Fabio was active off the coast just west of Baja from Monday to Wednesday, said Bill Rasch, a NWS meteorologist. While it was considered a weak storm system, Rasch said leftover clouds from Fabio have traveled north, keeping temperatures cooler in the Sacramento area and increasing humidity levels by 10 to 15 percent.

...Rasch did note that the lower temperatures and higher humidity can also be helpful for fighting fires.

California is smack in the middle of fire season, and recent weather conditions have fueled blazes across the northern part of the state.

As of Friday morning, the County Fire burning in Yolo and Napa counties has ravaged more than 88,000 acres, while the Klamathon Fire in Siskiyou County has burned 8,000 and caused one fatality.

The tropical weather push we are seeing in the area has helped the County Fire by bringing up field moisture, said Cal Fire spokeswoman Heather Williams. But she said that can change in a few hours.