Air Slowly Improves
AIR QUALITY (PM2.5 AQI as of 7:00PM)
UNHEALTHY FOR ALL AREAS…
Clearer air is in sight. The blocked up weather pattern has loosened up enough to let a weather system approach from the west. With the ridge settling in to our east, this system will end up riding up and over the ridge to our north. Still, we will see some indirect impacts including a cleansing southwesterly flow and potentially a marine layer-deepening drizzle event in the Thursday/Friday timeframe. The southwesterly winds will become more dominate aloft over the next couple of days and will keep pushing lofted smoke away from us. The marine layer, which has been polluted by smoke over the ocean will slowly cleanse itself too, leading to less haze and better air quality all around. A full flush is likely by the end of the week.
In the meantime, skies will remain hazy with reduced air quality. We’re also likely to see the continuance of low clouds in the morning and afternoon sun. Temperatures will trend up slightly through mid-week, then down a bit into the weekend as the system passes by. There is some potential for brief offshore flow (mainly over the ridgetops) behind this system Friday into Saturday.
Overnight: Low clouds and patchy fog redeveloping around the bay and eventually pushing into valleys. Smoky/hazy with poor air quality. Coastal lows in the 50s with mid-40s to low 50s inland.
Tuesday: Becoming mostly sunny in the afternoon with a few low clouds possible near the coast and thick, hazy conditions. Slightly warmer with coastal highs in the mid-60s to mid-70s and upper 70s to upper 90s inland. Breezy for inland valleys in the afternoon.
Wednesday: Patchy low clouds near the coast and hazy. Air quality will remain reduced will but will be slightly improved. Warmer, with coastal highs in the upper 60s to upper 70s and 80s to around 100ºF inland. Breezy for inland valleys in the afternoon.
Extended: Low clouds will be thicker and a bit more drizzly in on Thursday & Friday mornings, but we’ll still see some afternoon sun and seasonable temperatures. Some cooling on Saturday as a weather system brings a cooler air mass to the region. Then, slow warming into early next week.
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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 53ºF
HIGH: 71ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 50ºF
HIGH: 85ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for September 22nd – 28th calls for the likelihood of ABOVE normal temperatures and near normal precipitation. Note: Little to no precipitation typically falls this time of year.
-El Niño/La Niña STATUS: Neutral
-Forecast into Winter: La Niña Watch
-Area drought status: Moderate drought for much of Santa Cruz & Santa Clara Counties, Abnormally dry on the east shore of the bay into San Benito County. No drought classification for much of Monterey County outside of the Gabilan Range.
