Heat Is On

Intense heat arriving at the Central Coast today with peak heat Tuesday and Wednesday. A strong ridge of high pressure builds in from the west-northwest as we head into the work week. Clockwise flow around the high is turning our winds offshore for the next few days. That, in combination with the unseasonably warm air mass associated with the high will make for hot conditions both inland and to the coast for the next three or possibly more days. In fact, latest models are trending hotter and for a longer duration.

AIR QUALITY: Good to Moderate

Today: Sunny and hot with coastal highs in the mid-70s to mid-90s and mid-90s to around 102ºF inland.

**HEAT ADVISORY**
…in effect from 11AM Monday until 11PM Wednesday for…

… coastal areas of Monterey & Santa Cruz Counties where temperatures up to 93ºF are expected…

… and for inland areas of Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Santa Clara Counties where temperatures up to 105ºF are expected.

*Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur. Moderate to major heat risk throughout this period.

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.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

Overnight: Clear skies and staying milder. Lows in upper 50s to low 60s and warmer inland mid 60s to low 70s in areas.

Tuesday: Sunny and hotter with coastal highs in the 80s to around 100ºF and widespread upper 90s to around 107ºF inland.

Extended: Some models are now showing the heat peaking Wednesday then lingering while only slightly cooling down through the end of the week. We’ll probably see an attempt or two for a more robust onshore flow at the coast hold off until the weekend now.  

*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
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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 52ºF
HIGH: 71ºF

--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 48ºF
HIGH: 81ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for October 7^th – 13^th calls for the likelihood of ABOVE normal temperatures and near normal precipitation.

- ENSO (El Niño/La Niña) STATUS: La Niña Watch
- ENSO Forecast: Transition to La Niña into the fall and persist through the winter months.
- Area drought status: Abnormally dry for areas around Monterey Bay northward. Drought-free elsewhere.
- Monterey Bay Sea Surface Temperature* as of September 30^th : 58.7ºF
(Historic Sep AVG near Monterey: 59.6ºF) -- *average of 7 buoys