Massive Waves And The Next Storm
Our next storm system arrive Tuesday morning with brief heavy rain and gusty winds all while high surf will continue to pound the coast. The cold front will pass through just before dawn with an hour or so of moderate to briefly heavy rain, wind gusts, and potential embedded thunderstorms. Winds will switch to the northwest behind the front, ease a bit, then pick up again mid-afternoon. A few showers may linger in the post-frontal environment and an additional chance for a thunderstorm can’t be ruled out.
Life-threatening conditions will continue in the water, especially around high tide Tuesday morning (~5AM)
AIR QUALITY: Good to Moderate
***HIGH SURF WARNING***
… for the entire immediate coastline of Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, including the Monterey Bay extended until 6pm on Tuesday
*Dangerously large breaking waves of 30 to 40 feet, with largest wave sets up to 60 feet at
favored spots.
*Life-threatening swimming and surfing conditions and significant beach erosion can be expected. Large waves can sweep across the beach without warning, pulling people into the sea from rocks, jetties and beaches. Sudden immersion in cold water can result in cold water shock even for the most experienced swimmers. Cold water shock can result in dramatic changes in breathing, heart rate and blood pressure, greatly increasing the risk of drowning in rough open waters.
Everyone should remain out of the water due to life-threatening surf conditions. Stay off of jetties, piers, and other waterside infrastructure.
***COASTAL FLOOD WARNING***
…for the entire immediate coastline of Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties including the Monterey Bay in effect now until 12pm
*Significant coastal flooding expected.
*Life-threatening swimming and surfing conditions and significant shoreline erosion can be expected. Numerous roads may be closed, and some critical infrastructure will be inundated. Large waves can sweep across the beach without warning, pulling people into the sea from rocks, jetties and beaches. Sudden immersion in cold water can result in cold water shock even for the most experienced swimmers. Cold water shock can result in dramatic changes in breathing, heart rate and blood pressure, greatly increasing the risk of drowning in rough
open waters.
Take the necessary actions to protect flood-prone property. If travel is required, do not drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth.
Everyone should remain out of the water due to life-threatening surf conditions. Stay off of jetties, piers, and other waterside infrastructure.
Overnight: Mostly cloudy and muggy with lows in the 50s for most areas and few 40s for southern valleys. Rain chances increasing toward dawn.
Tuesday: A cold front will bring wind and rain with the potential for embedded thunderstorms early Tuesday morning. Nuisance flooding and minor wind damage possible. Widespread rain moves out of the region by late morning, but showers and perhaps a thunderstorm will be possible into mid-afternoon. Gusty southerly winds will switch to the west/northwest and remain gusty late in the day before slowly tapering off. Highs will be cool, with widespread 50s.
Wednesday (Christmas Day): Morning fog for the valleys with mostly clear skies. Cool, with highs in the 50s to around 60ºF. Increasing clouds late.
Extended: A series of weak systems will impact our area from Thursday through Sunday. At the moment, it appears all will only bring light rain and occasionally elevated winds. There will be gaps between any rain events, but models are all over the place with timing at the moment. For now, just anticipate a chance of rain every day through Sunday.
*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: 41ºF
HIGH: 59ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 36ºF
HIGH: 60ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for December 31st – January 6th calls for the likelihood of ABOVE normal temperatures and BELOW 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 San Benito County, northeastern Monterey County and eastern Santa Clara County. Drought-free elsewhere
- Monterey Bay Sea Surface Temperature as of December 23rd : 55.7ºF (avg of 7 buoys) [December Average: 55.0ºF]
