Slowly Warming Up!

The battle is on between an area of high pressure to our east and a trough of low pressure developing to our northwest. The ridge will get stronger as we head through the week and the trough will dig deeper. The most likely scenario is that we remain in between these two features with a slightly greater influence from the high. However, any swing between the two could mean a change in the forecast. For now, expect warmer, sunnier conditions with strengthening high pressure heading into the weekend.


Wednesday: Mostly cloudy early, then becoming partly cloudy on the coast and sunny inland. A touch cooler, with coastal highs in the mid-60s to around 70ºF and mid-70s to around 100ºF inland. Breezy for inland valleys in the afternoon.

Overnight: Low clouds will fill in around the coast and nearby valleys. Patchy fog possible. Expect coastal lows in the mid-50s with upper 40s to mid-50s inland.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy early, then becoming partly cloudy on the coast and sunny inland. A touch warmer, with coastal highs in the mid-60s to low 70s and mid-70s to around 101ºF inland. Breezy for inland valleys in the afternoon.

Extended: The trend will be for warmer temperatures Friday/Saturday/Sunday with slightly sunnier conditions. Low clouds will remain in the mornings and to some extend in the afternoons, but not quite as thick as earlier in the week. Temperatures will then cool early next week as a trough strengthens and deepens the marine layer. You can also expect increased low clouds.

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

--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 51ºF
HIGH: 86ºF

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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for August 5^th - 10^th 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.