Summer Doldrums

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) – Weak low pressure aloft will stick around for the next few days. The marine layer will remain in place on the coast but clouds may occasionally clear as the air around the low mixes through the layers. The overall air mass aloft will remain warm, so inland areas will see seasonable to slightly warm highs, but coastal areas will continue to be seasonable to slightly cool. As the low moves out Tuesday into Wednesday, a few mid-level clouds will pass. This area will have to be monitored for instability. At this time, it looks fairly low. The pattern will break late in the week.  

Air Quality: Good      

Overnight: Low clouds over the coast and filling into the nearby valleys with patchy fog and drizzle possible. Coastal lows in the low to mid-50s with mid-40s to mid-50s for inland valleys and 60s up in the hills.  
 
Tuesday: Low clouds retreat to the coast by mid-morning with partial clearing over coastal cities by afternoon. Breezy onshore winds becoming windy up valleys late in the day. Slightly cool on the coast with highs in the low 60s to around 70ºF and slightly warm inland with highs ranging from the 70s nearest the coast to 90s to 100ºF in the farthest valleys.  
 
Wednesday: Low clouds with patchy fog and drizzle early, then retreating to the coast by mid-morning and partial clearing over coastal cities by afternoon. Breezy onshore winds becoming windy up valleys late in the day. Slightly cool on the coast with highs in the low 60s to around 70ºF and slightly warm inland with highs ranging from the 70s nearest the coast to 90s in the farthest valleys. 
 
Extended: The pattern becomes more progessive late in the week with the low moving out and west to east flow aloft resuming. A trough will pass as we approach the weekend which will stir up the winds a bit. Light coastal winds will be a little stronger and out of the northwest, which will warm up the north side of the bay.  

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Note: Some data in the below section may become outdated as our weather team transitions.  
This week's normal temperatures:     
--COASTAL CITIES--     
LOW: 53ºF     
HIGH: 69ºF     
--INLAND CITIES--     
LOW: 51ºF                 
HIGH: 84ºF            
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The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for July 8^th – 14^th calls for the likelihood of ABOVE normal temperatures and near normal precipitation, though little to no precipitation usually falls this time of year.     
- ENSO (El Niño/La Niña) STATUS: Neutral           
- ENSO Forecast: Neutral conditions persist through summer & possibly into next winter.  
-Area drought status: Abnormally dry for portions of southern San Benito and southeastern Monterey Counties. Drought-free for the remainder of the KION coverage area.  
-Monterey Bay Sea Surface Temperature as of June 30^th : 55.5ºF (avg. of  buoys) [Historic June Avg. SST: 56.7ºF]