Central Coast Shaping Up To Be Driest Year On Record

With meteorologists predicting not much more rain in the forecast before the new year,Monterey County is shaping up to ring in the driest year on record.

It would have to rain 3 to 5 inches between now and the end of the year for the Central Coast to recover and beat the driest year on record. It looks mostly dry through Christmas. For Monterey since 1949, the yearly average is 19.60 inches; 3.81 inches so far this year.

Other notable numbers for Monterey:

8.95 in 1953

10.85 in 1961

11.34 in 2007

11.46 in 1976

For Santa Cruz with data going back to 1893, yearly average is 30.26 inches:

5.07 so far this year

11.85 in 1929

15.02 in 1989

15.23 in 2007

15.99 in 1977

For Salinas with data going back to 1959, yearly average 14.68 inches:

3.86 so far this year

6.96 in 1990

7.20 in 1989

7.31 in 1961

8.12 in 1988

8.59 in 2007

9.09 in 1976

9.98 in 1977