There’s some good news and bad news regarding the local weather forecast.

Let’s get the bad news out of the way: more patchy fog and areas of low clouds are forecast for the region — one that hasn’t seen the sun for any significant amount of time since before Thanksgiving.

Now, the good news: The forecast says there’s a chance of rain later this week.

If that good news seems like a second dose of bad news, well, you’re not entirely wrong. But it is good news in that it will take a more robust weather system to push away the low clouds that are responsible for the gray, gloomy days.

“We’re currently in a pattern of high pressure, and this pattern creates a scenario of persistent fog and low clouds,” said Dakari Anderson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “This type of weather system feeds on itself. With limited sunlight you get cooler temperatures. The cooler temps allow for more fog and low clouds to form and stay in the same pattern until something else comes along to disrupt it.”

That bigger weather system is on its way — starting in the northern Sacramento Valley, near Redding and Red Bluff, and eventually making its way to southern half of the valley.

That’s good news for Kelly Soernsen, a resource specialist for the Merced City School District who has family ties to Turlock. Last week, she traveled to Mariposa to get above the fog and soak up some Vitamin D.

“I couldn’t take another day of the gloom,” said Soernsen, whose great-grandmother, Mabel Henderson, once owned Turlock Flower Shop. “It was glorious to see long forgotten blue skies and feel the warmth of the sun. The blanket of tule fog that has worn out its welcome should kindly leave.”

While the fog isn’t ready to skedaddle just yet, it is showing signs of weakening.

“There will be some filtered sunshine breaking through today,” said NWS meteorologist Jacob Spender. “It might not be as sunny as some would hope, but visibilities have improved.”

While most agree with Soernsen that the tule fog needs to pack its bags, others don’t mind the gray-flannel skies.

“I actually like it,” said Amanda Shelton, a school-office administrator in Turlock. “But then again, I was in Hawaii for a week after Thanksgiving, so I got plenty of sun. I will say, that if it’s going to look like this, it should at least rain so we can get something useful out of it.”