Cooler Weather Continues

Air Quality (as of 6AM)
GOOD for all reporting stations

WEATHER STORY
As of mid-week, a weak trough of low pressure hangs on the West Coast while the high that brought record heat to the region has wandered farther southeast. The high will begin to strengthen as we head into the weekend, however, and while it is not going to push much farther west, it will expand over the Rockies and have a stronger influence over our weather. This will mean a net warm-up for the Central Coast into the weekend. Another circumstance may also be some moisture pulled in from the south which could lead to some dry thunderstorms on Monday.


Thursday: Low clouds scatter to partly cloudy in the afternoon with more sunshine on the north side of the bay than on the south. Expect highs in the upper 50s to low 70s on the coast—warmest on the Santa Cruz side of the bay—and ranging from the upper 60s to mid 90s inland, depending on proximity to the coast. Winds will pick up in the afternoon and early evening for most major river valleys.

Overnight: Widespread low clouds overnight with more drizzle possible. Expect lows in the 50s for most areas with a few 40s in the clearer southern valleys.

Friday: Overcast in the morning once again with patchy fog & drizzle. Low clouds scatter to partly cloudy in the afternoon with more sunshine on the north side of the bay than on the south. Expect highs in the upper 50s to low 70s on the coast—warmest on the Santa Cruz side of the bay—and ranging from the low 70s to upper 90s inland, depending on proximity to the coast. Winds will pick up in the afternoon and early evening for most major river valleys.
 
Extended: We’ll remain a bit cool on the coast through the weekend with the marine layer in place. You can expect the daily cycle of low clouds. Inland areas will see less morning cloudcover and warmer afternoon highs into early next week. High clouds will begin streaming in on Sunday and will continue into next week. There is a slight chance of a (likely dry) thunderstorm on Monday.

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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 54ºF
HIGH: 69ºF
 
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 52ºF
HIGH: 85ºF

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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for July 22^nd – 28^th calls for the likelihood of near normal temperatures and near normal precipitation*. 
*Note: little to no precipitation usually falls this time of year.
-El Niño/La Niña STATUS: Neutral
-Forecast into Summer: Neutral

-Area drought status: “Extreme Drought” for the entire viewing area with the far southeastern corner of Monterey County considered “Exceptional Drought”