Even Cooler, Still Gusty
SALINAS, Calif. (KION) - Cool, windy, dry conditions, with continued elevated fire danger, can be expected to continue Friday as a trough of low pressure digs down the West Coast. Some inland areas will drop another 5-10ºF. On the coast, the cool-down will be less notable, with only patchy low clouds lingering on the south side of the bay during the day. Winds could gust up to 40-50mph in the inland hills & gaps by the afternoon, the initial gusts of which will be quite dry, reducing humidity levels.
Air Quality: Good to Moderate
***GALE WARNING***
...for Coastal Waters from Pigeon Point to Point Pinos and Point Pinos to Point Piedras Blancas California out to 10 NM.
*Until 9pm Friday
*Wes-northwest winds 15 to 30 kt with gusts up to 40 kt and seas 8 to 10 ft.
*Strong winds will cause hazardous seas which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility.
Mariners should alter plans to avoid these hazardous conditions. Remain in port, seek safe harbor, alter course, and/or secure the vessel for hazardous conditions.
Friday: Partly cloudy early, becoming mostly sunny across the area with only patch low clouds on the south and east sides of the bay. A few high clouds from the north will also be passing through. Gusty northwesterly onshore and up valley winds at times. Elevated fire danger. Coastal highs in the 60s to low-70s—warmest on the north side of the bay—and upper 60s to mid 80s inland.
Overnight: Low clouds will thicken, but won't be widespread. Mostly clear skies expected for many areas, with patchy low clouds near the coast. Northwesterly winds will remain breezy, gusty at times. Limiting the cloud cover, but also keeping temperatures from cooling too much. But, that dry, cool air mass will drop temps into the mid-upper 40s for most, upper 40s - low 50s at the coast.
Saturday: Patchy low clouds will clear to mostly sunny skies from the coast, inland. A few high clouds passing through. Because of the clearer conditions, coastal cities will see a warm up by a few degrees. Inland areas will also warm but remaining seasonably cool. Coastal highs in the 60s and 70s, inland highs in the upper 60s to upper 80s. Gusty northwesterly onshore and up valley winds at times. Elevated fire danger continues.
Sunday: Patchy low clouds early, becoming mostly sunny. A few more clouds expected for the southern portion of the bay during the afternoon. Winds will continue to be gusty, but easing a bit. Temps will also warm slightly across the region. Coastal highs in the 60s to mid 70s, inland mid-70s to upper 80s.
Extended: Troughing will persist on the West Coast through the weekend. The deep marine layer along with northwest flow will limit coastal clouds and allow for seasonably warm coastal temps. Inland areas will remain slightly cool, however. Coastal winds finally ease on Monday and we’ll likely see a bit more marine layer cloudcover into early next week, along with a mid-week warm up.
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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 52ºF
HIGH: 68ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 50ºF
HIGH: 82ºF
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The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for June 27th – July 3rd calls for the likelihood of near 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 20th : 54.2ºF (avg. of 7 buoys) [Historic June Avg. SST: 56.7ºF]
