Rain en Route
Air Quality (as of 7PM):
Good for all reporting stations.
Weather Story: A cold front will actually reach our shores late Friday night into Saturday bringing widespread light to moderate rain. The weather pattern will remain unsettled into next week with additional systems Monday & Tuesday. All the while, expect highs to remain below normal for this time of year.
*Beach Hazards*
… for the coast of Monterey County from late tonight through late Thursday night.
Long period northwest swell will arrive Thursday morning and will bring an increased risk of sneaker waves, rip currents, long shore currents, and there could be hard breaking surf on steep beaches. There is the potential that these conditions will transition into high surf on Friday.
-Long period northwest swell of 8 to 11 feet at 16 to 17 seconds expected.
Increased risk of sneaker waves and stronger rip currents and/or long shore currents.
A Beach Hazard Statement for sneaker waves means that conditions are present to support a heightened risk of unsuspecting beach goers being swept into the sea by a wave. People walking along the beach should never turn their back to the sea. Avoid fishing from rocks or jetties.
Remain out of the water to avoid hazardous swimming conditions.
Overnight: A few low clouds/fog possible around the bay and adjacent valleys, otherwise clear. Expect lows in the upper 30s to mid 40s on the coast and mainly 30s inland.
Friday: Mostly sunny and a bit warmer early with highs in the upper 50s to 60s. Then, increasing clouds, especially on the coast. Light rain will be possible in the coastal mountains after dark. Then, right around midnight, a cold front will bring briefly moderate rain and gusty winds to the region.
Saturday: Rain will clear out by (or even before) dawn on Saturday, leaving partly cloudy skies. It will remain cool and breezy with highs in the 50s to low 60s.
Extended. Expect another cool day on Sunday with highs in the 50s to low 60s. Then, several fast-moving systems will bring rain to the region beginning Monday and lasting into Wednesday.
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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 45ºF
HIGH: 62ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 40ºF
HIGH: 66ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for March 12th – 18th calls for the likelihood of BELOW normal temperatures and ABOVE normal precipitation.
-El Niño/La Niña STATUS: Weak La Niña
-Forecast into Summer: Neutral
-Area drought status: Abnormally dry for most of the viewing area, moderate drought for most of Santa Clara County outside of the Santa Cruz Mountains and the northeastern sections of San Benito County.
