Watching Hazy Conditions

Air Quality (as of 8 AM)
GOOD to MODERATE

WEATHER STORY
A fall-like trough of low pressure digging down the west coast will continue to cool the region through mid-week. While the cooler weather does sound rather nice, dry, offshore winds will increase fire danger across Northern California and blow smoke back toward us here on the Central Coast. Expect diminished air quality beginning Wednesday morning and lasting for a few days. If enough smoke mixes into the marine layer out over the ocean, that may lengthen the amount of time we’ll see lower air quality. Beyond the smoke, cooler weather can be expected for most of the week with a slow warming trend into the weekend.

 
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy in the morning, becoming partly cloudy on the coast during the afternoon and mostly sunny inland. It will be smoky, however. Expect coastal highs in the mid 60s to mid 70s with mainly 70s-80s inland. Winds pick up on the coast and inland valleys during the afternoon and evening.

Overnight: Low clouds will slowly redevelop on the peninsula, and will make their way inland toward Salinas and Hollister. Conditions will remain relatively clear in the Santa Cruz Mountains and down the Salinas Valley through the night.

Thursday: Widespread low clouds overnight and into the morning with drizzle possible on the north/east sides of the bay and perhaps on the Big Sur Coast. Skies will break to mostly sunny inland, but will likely remain mostly cloudy on the coast. Smoky conditions will continue. Expect coastal highs in the mid 60s to low 70s with mainly 70s-80s inland. Winds pick up on the coast and inland valleys during the afternoon and evening.

Extended: Smoke may linger for a few more days, but the general trend will be slightly warmer, sunnier weather through the weekend.

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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 55ºF
HIGH: 71ºF
 
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 52ºF
HIGH: 86ºF

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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for August 25^th – 31^st calls for the likelihood of ABOVE 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 Winter: La Niña Watch

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