Rounds of Rain

Another chilly start with cold temps. Dry and sunny today but clouds will be on the increase with rain arriving late tonight into Thursday as a series of storm systems will arrive at the Central Coast for the rest of the week through next week. More measurable rain and stronger winds expected to arrive late Friday into Saturday with temps trending downward so a big change from the stretch of beautiful weather we've been enjoying. Get the rain gear ready!

AIR QUALITY: Good to Moderate

Today:  A dry afternoon with sun and highs will return to above normal territory, though cooler than Tuesday. Highs mainly in the 60s. Clouds increase with rain on the coast late.

Overnight: Becoming mostly cloudy with rain showers developing and lows in the low to upper 40s with mid 30s in inland spots.

Thursday: Rain early then gradual clearing with sunshine. Winds turn gusty with cooler temps. Highs in the upper 50s to low 60s. Rainfall totals ranging from .1-.5 inches with higher amounts possible in the mountain ranges.

Extended: The next system will take aim at our area Friday into Saturday afternoon with higher rainfall amounts expected, so we'll see moderate rain and gusty winds with this system. Showers could hang around into Sunday and a trailing system is then possible early next week.

Beaches could be quite dangerous this weekend with some potential for high surf in combination with king tides, which could result in some minor coastal flooding. Along with the northwest swell and hazardous surf conditions, this time frame coincides with the peak of December king tides, the highest astronomical tides of the season. There is a risk for coastal flooding in low lying coastal regions. Stay weather aware and tune in!
 
*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
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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 42ºF
HIGH: 60ºF

--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 37ºF
HIGH: 60ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for December 17^th – 23^rd calls for the likelihood of ABOVE normal temperatures and ABOVE normal precipitation.

- ENSO (El Niño/La Niña) STATUS: La Niña Watch
- ENSO Forecast: Transition to La Niña into the fall and persist through the winter months.
- Area drought status: Abnormally dry for areas around Monterey Bay northward. Drought-free elsewhere.- Monterey Bay Sea Surface Temperature as of December 9^th : 53.9ºF (avg of 6 buoys) [December Average: 55.0ºF]