Windy & cold conditions prompt alerts
A FREEZE WATCH and WIND ADVISORY have been issued for parts of the Central Coast.
Cold, dry air blows into the region overnight. Hazards include wind/tree damage, cold wind chills and eventually frost/freeze issues…
A *WIND ADVISORY* continues through noon Wednesday for Santa Cruz and Santa Clara Counties. This means that wind gusts in excess of 45 are expected, especially in the higher elevations. Sustained north-northeast winds of 20-35 are expected with gusts to 55 possible in the hills. This could down trees and power lines in addition to making driving conditions difficult. The highest winds are expected Tuesday evening and will taper off into Wednesday.
A *FREEZE WATCH* goes into effect midnight Wednesday (12:00AM Jan 1st) tonight through 9AM Thursday for San Benito County, Santa Clara County, interior Santa Cruz County, and interior Monterey County. This does include the Salinas Valley, the Santa Clara Valley, and all area mountains. This includes but is not limited to the cities of Salinas, Hollister, Gilroy, Gonzales, Soledad, Greenfield, King City, Bradley, Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, and Carmel Valley. Several hours of freezing temperatures are expected Wednesday night into Thursday morning for much of the Central Coast. Early morning lows will be in the middle 20s to low 30s. Damage to sensitive vegetation and stress on outdoor livestock are potential impacts.
