Hot Temperatures on the Rise

Temperatures will be rising each and every day this week with an Excessive Heat Watch for the weekend. A moderate to major heat risk expected Saturday and Sunday as well as an elevated fire risk for inland areas. Expect afternoon sunshine with daytime highs climbing to above normal temps in most locations across the central coast. High pressure will be dominating our weather pattern all week. The result will be the return of intense heat to our inland areas and a compressed marine layer. At the coast, we’ll heat up too with patchy fog/drizzle possible in the mornings. It looks like the hot pattern may set up for a while too. Expect breezy conditions also for much of the week. Hot temps will peak Saturday.

**EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH
SUNDAY EVENING**

Hot conditions with temperatures in the 90s to near 110
inland. Overnight lows in the 60s in the valleys, 70s in the hills.

* WHERE...the Santa Cruz mountains and interior Central Coast.Southern Salinas Valley...Arroyo Seco...and Lake San Antonio-
Santa Lucia Mountains and Los Padres National Forest-
Mountains of San Benito and Interior Monterey County including
Pinnacles National Park-
Northern Salinas Valley...Hollister Valley...and Carmel Valley

* WHEN...From Friday morning through Sunday evening.

* IMPACTS...Extreme heat will significantly increase the
  potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those
  working or participating in outdoor activities.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The Excessive Heat Watch is being issued
  now to give heat sensitive individuals time to plan accordingly.
  The combination of warm nights and hot days will be most
  prevalent Saturday and Sunday. In addition to the heat,
  individuals should be mindful of the elevated fire danger over
  the weekend, especially inland and at higher elevations where
  there will be little overnight relief from the marine layer.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates on this
situation. Be prepared to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-
conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives
and neighbors.

Young children and pets should never be left unattended in
vehicles under any circumstances. This is especially true during
warm or hot weather when car interiors can reach lethal
temperatures in a matter of minutes.

AIR QUALITY: Good

Tuesday: Sunshine with temps heating up across the central coast. Daytime highs will most likely be above normal during this time with plenty of afternoon sunshine. Coastal communities will see highs in upper 60s and 70s with inland valleys reaching 80s and 90s.

Overnight: There will be increasing cloud coverage will lows in the 50s. Winds calming down after midnight.

Wednesday: Sunshine and hot with highs in the upper 90s to 110 degrees inland and upper 60s and 70s coastal.

Extended: The big weather story for the week and weekend will be the ongoing rising temperatures coastal and inland with prolonged hot days ahead, especially inland. Temps will be rising into the upper 60s and 70s in coastal towns and even hotter for inland valleys with 90s and triple digit heat. Time once again to use caution during extended high heat. Fire weather risk will be elevated through the weekend inland and above 2500 feet but not critical.

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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 54ºF
HIGH: 68ºF

--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 52ºF
HIGH: 85ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for July 14^th - 20^th calls for the likelihood of ABOVE normal temperatures and near normal precipitation. Note: Little to no precipitation typically falls this time of year.

- ENSO (El Niño/La Niña) STATUS: El Niño Advisory
- Forecast: El Niño developing this summer.
-Area drought status: Currently drought-free