It’s Beginning to Feel A Lot Like Winter
A cold air mass will settle in for the next few days with cool days and cold nights. The forecast becomes more complicated toward the end of the week as a system approaches from the west, but there are factors working against it. At the moment, it’s looking more likely that we will remain dry, but that could change.
AIR QUALITY: Good
Tuesday: Mostly sunny but cool with highs in the low to mid 50s for most areas, 40s up in the hills.
Overnight: Mostly clear with cold overnight lows, mainly 30s across the Central Coast with a few 20s for sheltered valley locations. Widespread frost and patchy fog inland, patchy frost along the coast.
***FREEZE WARNING***
…for North Bay Interior Mountains, Southern Salinas Valley, Arroyo Seco, and Lake San Antonio and Mountains of San Benito and Interior Monterey County including Pinnacles National Park. In effect from 1am to 9am Wednesday.
-Sub-freezing temperatures of32 degrees or colder expected. Frost and freeze conditions will kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.
**FROST ADVISORY**
...for Northern Monterey Bay and Southern Monterey Bay and
Big Sur Coast in effect from 1am to 9am Wednesday
-Temperatures of 35 degrees or colder will result in frost formation. Frost could kill sensitive outdoor vegetation if left uncovered.
*FREEZE WATCH*
…for East Bay Interior Valleys, Santa Clara Valley, including San Jose, Eastern Santa Clara Hills, East Bay Hills and Northern Salinas Valley, Hollister Valley, and Carmel Valley. In effect from 1am to 9am Wednesday.
Sub-freezing temperatures of 32 degrees or colder possible. Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes they should be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly. Those that have in-ground sprinkler systems should drain them and cover above- ground pipes to protect them from freezing.
Wednesday: A few degrees colder in the morning with widespread frost, then mostly sunny but cool with highs in the low to mid 50s for most areas, 40s up in the hills.
Extended: Expect mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies for the remainder of the week and into the weekend. Both lows and highs are likely to remain below normal for this time of year. Watching for rain this weekend, but chances are looking slim. ADVERTISING
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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 43ºF
HIGH: 61ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 37ºF
HIGH: 62ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for December 20th – 26th calls for the likelihood of ABOVE normal temperatures and BELOW normal precipitation.
- El Niño/La Niña STATUS: La Niña Advisory
- Forecast: Weak La Niña continues through winter, becomes neutral by Spring
-Area drought status: “Severe Drought” for most of the viewing area with “Extreme Drought” in southern San Benito and southeastern Monterey Counties. The southeastern third of San Benito County has been upgraded to “Exceptional Drought”
