Weekend Warming Trend!
The weekend will warm up with daytime high temps 10-15 above average in some locations by Sunday! High pressure will dominate our weather through the upcoming weekend, leading to well above normal temperatures! Some areas, like the Salinas Valley, will be near record warmth in the mid 70s Sunday! With that said, a huge plume of moisture will continue to “pollute” the ridge with high clouds during the period. While the clouds may limit heating to some extent, the overall air mass will be warm enough for highs to reach 10-15ºF above normal. Big changes with rain and wind chances return mid-week next week—see the “extended” section below for details.
AIR QUALITY: Good
Saturday: Scattered high clouds and warmer yet with highs in the mid 60s to mid 70s. Light winds.
Sunday: Sunshine and even warmer high temps in the upper 60s to mid 70s and even warmer in some spots, and light winds.
Monday: Sunny and warm once again with temps above average with highs upper 60s to mid 70s.
Extended: Warm, dry weather will continue through Tuesday, peaking on Sunday with potential record heat. Then, things get interesting. The jet stream will be streaming across the Pacific with a significant fetch of moisture which will initially be pointed to our north, but will likely sweep down toward us around the end of the month. This may mean heavier rainfall and stormy conditions for us, so stay tuned!
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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 43ºF
HIGH: 61ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 38ºF
HIGH: 62ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for February 2nd - 8th calls for the likelihood of BELOW normal temperatures and ABOVE normal precipitation.
- ENSO (El Niño/La Niña) STATUS: El Niño Advisory
- ENSO Forecast: Strong to Very Strong El Niño expected this winter.
-Area drought status: Currently drought-free
