Cooling Down
AIR QUALITY:
GOOD to MODERATE for most areas.
WEATHER STORY
The ridge of high pressure that brought record heat to the region Wednesday will slowly weaken through the end of the week. As it does, temperatures will cool off across the board and low clouds will return to the coast. We’ll be closer to normal by the weekend before a weak weather system slides in from the north Monday. This system has the potential to bring some light rain to the region, but chances remain somewhat low.
Overnight: Mostly clear and mild with fog possible along the Big Sur Coast. Expect lows in the 40s-50s for most areas with a few 30s in southern valleys and 50s up in the hills.
Thursday: Cooler with patchy coastal fog. Highs in the 60s to around 70ºF on the coast and mainly 70s inland.
Friday: Partly cloudy and cooler yet with mostly 60s on the coast and 60s to low 70s inland.
Extended: Temperatures will slowly head downward toward the weekend under mostly sunny skies. A weak weather system arriving Monday into Tuesday will cool us quite a bit more and may bring a tiny chance of rain.
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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 43ºF
HIGH: 62ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 38ºF
HIGH: 63ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for December 9th – 15th calls for the likelihood of ABOVE normal temperatures and near normal precipitation.
-El Niño/La Niña STATUS: La Niña Advisory
- Forecast into Winter: Weak La Niña
-Area drought status: “Extreme Drought” for the entire viewing area with the far southeastern corner of Monterey County and far eastern San Benito County considered “Exceptional Drought”
