Sunday afternoon brought light breezy conditions and some clouds and haze over Carson City's Mills Park. Credit: Photo by Jeff Munson

Fall-like weather arrives this week in Carson City and surrounding counties, bringing well below normal temperatures, windy conditions and a good chance for showers and thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service.

The change in weather will return as afternoon winds Monday and Tuesday kick up, with the the best chances for showers and thunderstorms Wednesday and Thursday.

NWS models show a strong low pressure in the eastern Pacific that continues to pivot toward the region. Forecasters note the feature will be responsible for ushering in the fall-like weather this week, bringing the breezy afternoon winds, midweek showers and thunderstorms and much cooler temperatures.

Winds will become breezy in the afternoons through Tuesday in response to the approaching low pressure area, forecasters said. Winds should be from the southwest increasing to 30 mph to 40 mph Monday afternoon, with locally enhanced gusts of 40 mph to 50 mph possible in wind prone areas.

Forecasters advise motorists and those heading outdoors to be prepared for wind impacts to travel and recreation early this week. Also noteworthy, areas of elevated fire weather conditions are likely each day with holdover fires possibly flaring up amid increased winds, forecasters said.

Time for a cool change

The cooling trend is forecast to continue, bringing fall-like temperatures from midweek onward. Daytime highs will likely reach the 60s and 70s after Monday with freezing overnight lows in the Sierra around midweek, forecasters said.

Meanwhile, chances of showers and thunderstorms are possible as early as Monday, mainly from the Tahoe Basin and northeaster California and then spreading eastward Tuesday through Thursday.

Wednesday and Thursday will likely feature the greatest coverage of showers and thunderstorms with the chances running between 30 to 60 percent. NWS forecasters suggest temperatures may even be cold enough to allow for snow flurries on the highest Sierra peaks on both days.

Shower and storm chances may linger into the weekend, however there’s the potential for drying trend that may also be in play. Temperatures will also slowly warm as we head into the weekend but may remain below average through the weekend.

See the National Weather Service Reno website here and check Carson Now for updates.