Chilly Start To Weekend
Colder air behind a cold front that brought the rain is now filling into the local region so get ready for a chilly night and Saturday morning! Temps could dip as low below freezing in some far inland spots. The sun will return for the weekend with dry conditions but cool and breezy. Surf will be elevated this weekend so stay safe if you're headed to the beach. Keep the jacket handy too, but temps will gradually warm up. We will remain dry for quite some time.
AIR QUALITY: Good to Moderate
*Beach Hazards Statement*
…for the immediate coast on the north side of Monterey Bay in effect now 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 now 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.
Overnight: Skies will gradually clear overnight with patchy fog possible through the morning. Cool lows with 40s near the coast, 30s inland. Some interior valleys in the upper 20s to low 30s which could mean areas of patchy frost. Blustery northerly winds.
Saturday: Partly cloudy to mostly sunny and cool 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]
