Winds Of Change
The winds of change are a-blowin’, taking us from a somewhat cool, unsettled weather pattern to a warmer, dry one. We’ll just have to deal with a couple of days of wind in the meantime. Winds will be out of the north on Wednesday and will scour out any residual moisture left in the valleys, warming temperatures to seasonal normal. The wind will then really pick up over the hills overnight into Thursday morning as it shifts more to the northeast. This offshore flow will warm many areas up into the upper 60s to low 70s and while not currently in an alert, I think we’ll see some gusty downslope winds in Santa Cruz County Thursday morning which could take a few trees down here or there, especially with the saturated soils. Watch for an advisory to be issued for this area. Winds will slowly ease on Friday and at the surface, a daily sea breeze pattern will initiate at the coast by Saturday. While the region will be warm over all through the Saint Patrick’s Day weekend, we could see a few low clouds along the coast.
AIR QUALITY: Good
***GALE WARNING***
…in effect now, extended until 9PM Wednesday for the near coastal waters from Point Pinos to Point Piedras Blancas.
*Northwest winds 20 to 30 kt with gusts up to 40 kt and seas 10 to 14 ft expected.
*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 severe conditions.
Overnight: Decreasing clouds with just a few low clouds and perhaps some valley fog lingering through dawn. Lows in the 40s on the coast, upper 30s to 40s inland. Gusty north-northwesterly winds on the exposed coast and over the ridgetops.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny everywhere with just a few high clouds passing through. Gusty northerly winds at times, especially inland and on the exposed coast. Slightly warmer with highs mainly in the 60s.
**WIND ADVISORY**
…for the Diablo Range in Santa Clara County in effect from 5PM Wednesday until 11AM Friday
*North to Northeast winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected..
Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.
Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects.
Thursday: Gusty northeasterly winds in the morning with full sunshine throughout the day. Warmer, with highs in the upper 60s to mid 70s.
Extended: Winds begin to ease on Friday but may remain gusty up in the mountains. Temperatures jump up above normal into and through the weekend, though the sea breeze may moderate the coast and introduce a few low clouds back into the equation. The long term forecast is still looking pretty dry, especially for the next week or so, though mid-to-late next week may see the return of at least a chance of precip.
*Note: Any alerts from the National Weather Service in Monterey will be noted in italics above. Alerts may be edited for brevity or local clarification (in parenthesis).
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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 45ºF
HIGH: 63ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 41ºF
HIGH: 67ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for March 20th – 26th calls for the likelihood of near normal temperatures and ABOVE normal precipitation.
- ENSO (El Niño/La Niña) STATUS: El Niño Advisory, La Niña Watch
- ENSO Forecast: Transition from El Niño to neutral by Spring and then to La Niña by summer.
-Area drought status: Currently drought-free
