Bigger Storm On The Horizon
One more chilly, albeit slightly warmer, morning before a pair of storm systems pays us a visit this week. The first, weak system will arrive late Tuesday into Wednesday with mainly light rain and the potential for some mountain snow. The second, stronger system will be a dynamic storm system complete with a strong atmospheric river. There is an increased chance for flooding on Thursday along with the threat of damaging winds and perhaps a few thunderstorms.
Air Quality: Good
***FREEZE WARNING***
…for the interior mountains and southern valleys of Monterey & San Benito Counties in effect until 9AM Tuesday.
*Temperatures as low as 28 expected.
*Cold conditions will be hazardous to sensitive populations such as unhoused individuals. Cold Conditions can lead to hypothermia with prolonged exposure.
Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.
Be sure to open sink cabinet doors and/or drip faucets. This may help reduce or prevent damage to uninsulated pipes and other plumbing.
**FROST ADVISORY**
…for the coastal mountains and lower elevation valleys of Monterey County, the lower valleys of San Benito County, and the Santa Clara Valley and Diablos in Santa Clara County in effect until 9AM Tuesday
*Temperatures as low as 32 will result in frost formation.
*Cold conditions will be hazardous to sensitive populations such as unhoused individuals. Cold Conditions can lead to hypothermia with prolonged exposure.
Be sure to open sink cabinet doors and/or drip faucets. This may help reduce or prevent damage to uninsulated pipes and other plumbing.
Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.
Overnight: Passing high clouds with a few low clouds near the coast. Slightly warmer, but still cold with coastal lows in the mid-30s to mid-40s and mid-20s to upper 30s inland.
Tuesday: Increasing clouds throughout the day and a chance of light rain mainly after dark. Highs in the 50s. Northwesterly onshore winds becoming gusty in the afternoon. Snow levels drop overnight, perhaps as low as 3,000ft.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy early with rain ending, then becoming partly cloudy with an isolated shower possible, mainly in the coastal mountains. Warmer, with highs in the upper 50s to low 60s. Breezy northeasterly winds at times, switching to the south and becoming windy late. Increasing clouds with a chance of rain late.
Extended: Rainfall will become heavy and winds, gusty into Thursday morning as the atmospheric river deepens and the frontal system approaches the coast. The strongest winds are likely early in the afternoon on Thursday as the cold front passes. Rainfall will be heaviest then at well. However, the rain threat doesn’t end there. The low along with a trailing disturbance will move through late with widespread showers and perhaps a few thunderstorms. Showers then linger into Friday before tapering off. Warmer, drier weather expected this weekend.
*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: 44ºF
HIGH: 61ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 39ºF
HIGH: 63ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for February 18th - February 24th calls for the likelihood of ABOVE normal temperatures and BELOW normal precipitation.
- ENSO (El Niño/La Niña) STATUS: La Niña Advisory
- ENSO Forecast: La Niña persists into spring, then transitions to neutral by summer.
- Area drought status: Moderate drought for eastern San Benito County and far southeastern Monterey County. Abnormally dry for the remainder of the viewing area.
Monterey Bay Sea Surface Temperature as of February 11th 54.4ºF (avg of 8 buoys)
