Rain, Then Cold
A cold weather system will blast in from the north Sunday bringing gusty northwesterly winds, scattered showers, and cold temperatures. In fact, the air will be cold enough for mountain snow and convective precip types blurring the line between small hail and graupel (snow pellets). Cold air will then settled in for the next few days with frosty mornings and cool afternoons. Temperatures will warm slowly toward the end of the week when the next weather system arrives. This system will come from the west and will be warmer, but at the moment, it doesn’t look excessively wet. Stay tuned.
AIR QUALITY: Good to Moderate
Sunday: Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Snow levels around 3,000ft. Some showers may have small hail or even graupel (snow pellets) that could reach the lower elevations. Most areas will see highs in the upper 40s to low 50s early in the day with temperatures decreasing for most of the afternoon through the evening.
***FREEZE WARNING***
… for the Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Clara Valley, Diablo Range, mountains and higher valleys of San Benito County, and the Gabilan Range, Cholame Hills, and southeastern valleys of Monterey County in effect from midnight Sunday until 9AM Monday.
Sub-freezing temperatures of 32 or colder expected.
*Frost and freeze conditions will kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.
Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes they should be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly. Those that have in-ground sprinkler systems should drain them and cover above-ground pipes to protect them from freezing.
**FROST ADVISORY**
… for coastal Santa Cruz & Monterey Counties, the lower valleys of San Benito County, the Salinas Valley, and the Santa Lucia Range and adjacent valleys in effect from midnight Sunday until 9AM Monday.
*Temperatures of 35 or colder will result in frost formation.
*Frost could kill sensitive outdoor vegetation if left uncovered.
Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.
Monday: An isolated shower/mountain snow shower early in the morning, then becoming mostly clear. Cold in the morning with lows in the 20s-30s inland and 30s on the coast. Highs in the upper 40s to 50s.
Extended: Tuesday morning is likely to be even colder with widespread frost on the coast and a hard freeze for inland valleys. Expect mostly clear skies through around Thursday with both lows and high slowly warming, but remaining below normal. Clouds then increase Thursday in advance of the next weather system which is likely to bring some rain to the region on Friday. At the moment, it doesn’t look all that exciting, but we’ll monitor it.
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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 43ºF
HIGH: 62ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 38ºF
HIGH: 62ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for February 5th – 11th calls for the likelihood of BELOW normal temperatures and ABOVE normal precipitation.
- El Niño/La Niña STATUS: La Niña Advisory
- Forecast: Weak La Niña continues through winter, becomes neutral by Spring
-Area drought status: Moderate Drought (D1) for San Benito County, southeastern Monterey County, and northern Santa Cruz County. Abnormally Dry (D0) for the remainder of those counties. Moderate Drought (D1) for the KION coverage area in Santa Clara County.
