Windy But Warm!
Windy but sunny and mild! Sunshine with north winds gusting as we get closer to the weekend. The winds will really pick up over the hills into Thursday morning. This offshore flow will warm many areas up into the upper 60s to low 70s Thursday afternoon. Winds will slowly ease on Friday and at the surface, a daily sea breeze pattern will initiate at the coast by Saturday. While the region will be warm over all through the Saint Patrick’s Day weekend, we could see a few low clouds along the coast.
AIR QUALITY: Good
***GALE WARNING***
…in effect now, extended until Thursday morning for the near coastal waters from Point Pinos to Point Piedras Blancas.
*Northwest winds 20 to 30 kt with gusts up to 40 kt and seas 10 to 15 ft expected.
*Strong winds will cause hazardous seas which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility.
Mariners should alter plans to avoid these hazardous conditions. Remain in port, seek safe harbor, alter course, and/or secure the vessel for severe conditions.
**WIND ADVISORY**
…for the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Diablo Range in Santa Clara County in effect from 5PM Wednesday until 11AM Friday
*North to Northeast winds 20 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected..
Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.
Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects.
Overnight: Mostly clear skies. A touch cooler with mainly 40s across the Central Coast, mid to upper 30s for sheltered valleys. Northwest winds will be breezy, gusty at times .
Thursday: Gusty northeasterly winds in the morning with full sunshine throughout the day. Warmer, with highs in the upper 60s to low 70s.
Friday: Sunny and mild with daytime temps in the mid to upper 60s and into the low 70s.
Extended: Winds begin to ease on Friday but may remain gusty up in the mountains. Temperatures jump up above normal into and through the weekend, though the sea breeze may moderate the coast and introduce a few low clouds back into the equation. The long term forecast is still looking pretty dry, especially for the next week or so, though mid-to-late next week may see the return of at least a chance of precip.
*Note: Any alerts from the National Weather Service in Monterey will be noted in italics above. Alerts may be edited for brevity or local clarification (in parenthesis).
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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 45ºF
HIGH: 63ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 41ºF
HIGH: 67ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for March 20th – 26th calls for the likelihood of near normal temperatures and ABOVE normal precipitation.
- ENSO (El Niño/La Niña) STATUS: El Niño Advisory, La Niña Watch
- ENSO Forecast: Transition from El Niño to neutral by Spring and then to La Niña by summer.
-Area drought status: Currently drought-free
