A Return To Rain

A potent storm system packed with cold air and tapping into Central Pacific moisture will arrive on Thursday bringing moderate rain and gusty winds to the region. This fast-moving system won’t put down a ton of rain, but brief heavy rain will be possible along the cold front. Cold air will follow in behind it into Friday with a cold morning expected. Then, another colder, but dryer system will follow, though details are a little obscure so far. Moisture sill stream back in from the south as early as Friday night with the leading edge of the cold air likely waiting until later Saturday. It’s possible these two features will never marry up, but if they do, we should get another good dose of rain. If not, it may just be showery. Either way, showers are likely to linger into Monday. Temperatures look to remain chilly for the next week or more.

AIR QUALITY: Good

Overnight: Increasing clouds and southerly winds. Lows in the 40s for most areas with a few 30s in our southern valleys. Some light rain beginning in the coastal mountains before dawn.

Thursday: Rain and wind pick up through late morning for most areas, though most valley locations will experience rain shadowing. Then, a cold front will bring gusty winds and brief heavy rain from northwest to southeast across the KION viewing area into mid-afternoon. Rain will decrease rapidly behind the front though it will remain breezy with isolated showers possible.

Friday: Cold and frosty in the morning, though mostly sunny through the afternoon. Highs in the 50s for most areas, with 40s up in the mountains. Clouds increase across the south later in the day with light rain possible across southern Monterey County after dark.

Extended: Rain is likely on Saturday with breezy to windy conditions, then showers linger Sunday & Monday. Snow levels will remain quite low—between 3-4kft. Highs remain in the 50s.

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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 43ºF
HIGH: 62ºF

--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 38ºF
HIGH: 63ºF

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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for December 8^th – 14^th calls for the likelihood of BELOW normal temperatures and ABOVE normal precipitation.

- El Niño/La Niña STATUS: La Niña Advisory
- Forecast: Weak La Niña into the Winter

-Area drought status: “Severe Drought” for most of the viewing area with “Extreme Drought” in southern San Benito and southeastern Monterey Counties. The southeastern third of San Benito County has been upgraded to “Exceptional Drought”