Saturday the Calm Before the Storm
WEATHER STORY
The ridge of high pressure responsible for the "summer-like" pattern, and by "summer," we of course mean the normal weather you experience locally June-August: low clouds and cool conditions on the coast, hot & dry conditions inland, will slowly move to the east, however, allowing a weather system to reach the coast this weekend. It is likely to bring rain to the region late Sunday into Monday and we could see an inch or two in the coastal mountains. Conditions may change, so please stay tuned to our forecast.
Air Quality: GOOD
Overnight: Low clouds are likely to return to the coast, with fog possible around the Monterey Bay as well as inland valleys. Some high clouds will continue to pass through. Similar overnight lows with temperatures bottoming out in the 40s for most areas with some 50s at higher elevations.
Saturday: Clouds will slowly decrease throughout the morning along the coast, with a little clearing just after noon, mostly sunny inland. Coastal highs mostly in the 60s. Inland temperatures will begin to cool ever so slightly but will remain in the 70s-80s. Clouds will be on the increase late ahead of a system that is likely to bring the Central Coast rain.
Sunday: Cooler and cloudier. Expect partly sunny skies from the coast, inland. The first band of showers will begin to approach late Sunday evening, becoming heavier toward midnight. Gusty winds throughout the day for most areas. Inland locations will start to feel a decrease in temperatures, with daytime highs dipping into the low 70s, coastal areas will remain mostly in the 60s.
Extended: A frontal boundary will move through the area late Sunday night, bringing widespread showers. There will be a brief break before the actual low begins to approach. The low will bring additional rain throughout the day Monday. There's also a potential for thunderstorms Monday afternoon. Rain could be moderate at times with 1-2” possible in coastal mountains. Winds will be gusty as the system passes. By Tuesday dry, seasonable weather will return leading us into next week.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 45ºF
HIGH: 64ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 42ºF
HIGH: 69ºF
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for April 2nd– April 8th calls for the likelihood of ABOVE normal temperatures and BELOW normal precipitation.
- El Niño/La Niña STATUS: La Niña Advisory
- Forecast into Summer: Weak La Niña
-Area drought status: “Severe Drought” for most of the viewing area with the far eastern fringes of Santa Benito and southeastern corner of Monterey County in “Extreme Drought.