Warm To Rain, Then Back To Warm Eventually
Rain returns to the Monterey Bay Area on Friday as a frontal system moves through. The weak warm front will arrive first just after dawn with some light, drizzly rain around the bay, followed by the cold front around lunchtime. Cold frontal rains will remain light to moderate at best but may also be accompanied by gusty winds. Cold air pours into the region behind the front, making for a chilly start to the weekend.
AIR QUALITY: Good to Moderate
Overnight: Increasing clouds with drizzle possible before dawn. Breezy westerly winds increasing over the higher terrain and southerly winds picking up along the outer Monterey Coast. Lows in the mid to upper 40s on the coast and mid-30s to mid-40s inland.
Friday: Mostly cloud on the coast with light to briefly moderate rain at times from the morning into the early afternoon. Inland areas will remain partly to mostly cloudy with isolated showers. Southerly winds will pick up on the coast and in the valleys becoming somewhat gusty around lunchtime, then switching to the northwest with frontal passage. Expect highs in the upper 50s to low 60s. Some areas of Santa Cruz County won’t make it out of the mid-50s. Rain ends from northwest to southeast across the area during the afternoon. There is still a slight chance of a light shower behind the front into the evening.
*Beach Hazards Statement*
…for the immediate coast on the north side of Monterey Bay in effect from Friday morning through late Saturday night.
…and for the immediate outer coastline of Monterey & Santa Cruz Counties and the south/east shores of Monterey Bay in effect from Friday morning through Friday evening when it will be upgraded to a High Surf Advisory
*Moderate to high risk of sneaker waves expected.
*Sneaker waves can sweep across the beach without warning, pulling people into the sea from rocks, jetties, and beaches. Sudden immersion in cold water can result in cold water shock even for the most experienced swimmers. Cold water shock can result in dramatic changes in breathing, heart rate and blood pressure, greatly increasing the risk of drowning in rough
open waters.
Remain out of the water to avoid hazardous swimming conditions.
**HIGH SURF ADVISORY**
…for the immediate outer coastline of Monterey & Santa Cruz Counties and the south/east shores of Monterey Bay in effect from 9PM Friday until 3AM Sunday
*Large breaking waves of 18 to 25 feet expected.
*Dangerous swimming and surfing conditions and localized beach erosion. Sneaker waves can sweep across the beach without warning, pulling people into the sea from rocks, jetties, and beaches. Sudden immersion in cold water can result in cold water shock even for the most experienced swimmers. Cold water shock can result in dramatic changes in breathing, heart rate and blood pressure, greatly increasing the risk of drowning in rough open waters.
Inexperienced swimmers should remain out of the water due to dangerous surf conditions.
Remain out of the water to avoid hazardous swimming conditions.
Saturday: Partly cloudy and cooler with highs in the mid 50s to around 60ºF. Fog possible in low, sheltered areas early. Breezy north-northwesterly winds at times becoming occasionally windy for inland valleys during the afternoon.
Extended: High pressure generally dominates the weather for the next week or so beyond the weekend. Temps will climb upward, though there will be a bit of a speed bump on Monday/Tuesday as an “inside slider” passes by to our east. Winds will shift offshore behind it Tuesday. The air will be quite dry through mid-week with cold mornings and warm afternoons. There isn’t much hope for rain until after January 15th.
*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: 42ºF
HIGH: 60ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 37ºF
HIGH: 61ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for January 10th – 16th calls for the likelihood of ABOVE normal temperatures and BELOW 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 San Benito County, northeastern Monterey County and eastern Santa Clara County. Drought-free elsewhere- Monterey Bay Sea Surface Temperature as of January 3rd : 55.0ºF (avg of 7 buoys) [January Average: 54.7ºF]
