Rain, Wind, and Even Snow
Air Quality Report (As of 12:00pm)
Good to moderate for all reporting areas.
Weather Story: A cold front will pass through the region today bringing periods of moderate rain and occasionally gusty winds. Snow levels will drop from 3,500ft this afternoon down to 2,500ft overnight. Rain breaks to showers overnight and may linger in the hills into Monday afternoon. We'll get a break late Monday into Tuesday, but the next, stronger system will arrive late Tuesday into Wednesday morning. This is a slow-moving system packed with moisture that will pass through Wednesday, across our south, then push back north before slowly moving south out of our area again. This repeated exposure will mean significant rainfall amounts for our coastal hills--especially the Santa Lucias. Those planning to travel Highway 1 down the Big Sur Coast Wednesday into Thursday should make alternate plans. Most of the viewing area will see an inch of rain plus, but totals could approach a foot in the Santa Lucias. Debris flows around burn scars will be a good possibility, so if you live on or near a scar, make sure you have a plan in place to stay safe. Additional rainfall possible beyond Thursday as several, weaker systems take aim on the West Coast.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy with rain moving from west to east across the viewing area over the course of the afternoon. Gusty winds at times on the coast. Brief downpours also possible. Accumulating snow above 3,500ft with snowflakes occasionally make it as low as 2,500ft. Most areas will remain in the 40s to low 50s with 30s up high.
From the National Weather Service in Monterey…
**Wind Advisory**
…for the coast and coastal cities of Monterey County from 7PM Sunday through 10AM Monday.
-Northwest winds 15 to 30 mph with gusts 40 to 50 mph.
-Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Burned trees in recent burn scars will be particularly susceptible.
Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects.
Overnight: Partly cloudy with lingering showers—most common near the coast and in the coastal mountains. Accumulating snow levels drop to 2,500ft with snowflakes occasionally making it as low as 1,500ft. Lows in the 30s-40s for the coast and inland valleys with 20s up high. Gusty northwesterly winds at times, especially on the coast.
Extended: Showers will linger into Monday. A stronger system will reach our shores on Wednesday with the potential for heavier rain which could impact burn scars. Please prepare in advance and remain tuned to our forecast. All the while, expect highs only in the 50s.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 43ºF
HIGH: 60ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 36ºF
HIGH: 62ºF
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for January 29th – February 4th calls for the likelihood of BELOW normal temperatures and ABOVE normal precipitation.
-El Niño/La Niña STATUS: Moderate La Niña
-Forecast into Winter: La Niña Advisory
-Area drought status: Moderate drought most of our viewing area. A small slice of southeastern Santa Clara and northeastern San Benito Counties are considered to be in Severe Drought.
