Heat Is Coming
Things are heating up in the weather department. A strong ridge of high pressure will slowly build in from the southeast as we head into Labor Day Weekend. It will begin to squish our deep marine layer into submission, keeping clouds & fog back at the coast most nights. Temperatures will generally keep rising throughout the week and through the weekend into next week, perhaps peaking on Labor Day itself. Inland highs may soar to 20ºF above normal! At the coast, it looks like winds will remain onshore, but widespread 70s-80s and even some 90s will be possible by Sunday. Obviously this long-lived heat wave could have some effects on your health, so we’ll be watching it closely. Please stay tuned to the forecast.
AIR QUALITY: GOOD
Tuesday: Mostly sunny on the coast with highs in the mid 60s to mid 70s and sunny and warming inland with highs in the mid 70s to around 100ºF. Sea breezes pick up into the afternoon and become windy for inland valleys from the late afternoon into the early evening.
Overnight: Patchy low clouds and fog on the coast and nearby valleys. Expect lows in the 50s on the coast, upper 40s to 50s for inland valleys, and 60s for the far eastern valleys of San Benito County.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy early, quickly mixing back to the coast by mid-morning. Then, becoming mostly sunny on the coast with highs in the mid 60s to upper 70s and sunny and warming further inland with highs in the 80s to around 106ºF. Sea breezes pick up into the afternoon and become windy for inland valleys from the late afternoon into the early evening.
Extended: Temperatures will keep warming into the weekend, only briefly pausing on Friday. Coastal areas may continue to see fog at night with a shallow marine layer persisting. Inland areas will be hot & mostly sunny into next week.
*Excessive Heat Watch* (from the NWS in Monterey in italics…)
... for southern Monterey & San Benito Counties beginning Thursday and lasting until late Tuesday.
-Dangerously hot conditions with afternoon temperatures from the upper 90s up to 110 possible.
... and for the rest of Monterey/San Benito Counties along with Santa Clara & Santa Cruz Counties beginning Saturday and lasting until late Tuesday.
-Dangerously hot conditions with temperatures in the upper 90s up to 110 possible, particularly across the interior. Overnight temperatures cooling only into the 60s in lower elevations and 70s to 80s in the higher terrain.
-Extreme heat will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities.
-The hottest temperatures will occur across the region's interior and in the higher terrain each afternoon with mild to warm overnight temperatures providing little relief
from the heat. Onshore winds and marine influences from the Pacific Ocean may limit daytime heating near the coast with afternoon highs in the 70s to 80s, ultimately reducing heat related risks.
Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates on this situation. Be prepared to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.
Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. This is especially true during warm or hot weather when car interiors can reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.
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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 55ºF
HIGH: 72ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 52ºF
HIGH: 86ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for September 6th – September 12th 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: La Niña Advisory
- Forecast: Weak La Niña into the Fall
-Area drought status: “Severe Drought” for most of the viewing area with “Extreme Drought” in southern San Benito and southeastern Monterey Counties. The southeastern third of San Benito County has been upgraded to “Exceptional Drought”
