Wind, High Surf Alerts In Place
Showers linger into Friday as the storm system moves out. A few more waves will be with us for the morning commute, then only isolated showers tapering off around lunchtime. The other lingering impact of the system will be massive swells rolling in from the West! Breakers up to 45ft will be possible on west-facing beaches.
Air Quality: Good
***HIGH SURF WARNING***
… in effect until 3AM Saturday for coastal Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties including the Monterey Bay.
*Dangerously large breaking waves of 20 to 30 ft and up to 45 ft for the highest waves on west facing beaches. Non-west facing beaches will see 15 to 20 ft waves and up to 30 ft peak waves.
*Breaking waves can sweep people off jetties and docks, and into dangerous seas. Life-threatening swimming conditions and significant beach erosion can be expected. 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.
Everyone should remain out of the water due to life-threatening surf conditions. Stay off of jetties, piers, and other waterside infrastructure.
***GALE WARNING***
…for the near coastal waters from Point Pinos to Point Piedras Blancas in effect until 3AM Friday.
*South winds 20 to 30 kt with gusts up to 45 kt and seas of 6-11ft expected
… for the near coastal waters from Pigeon Point to Point Pinos (outside of Monterey Bay) in effect until 3AM Friday.
*South winds 20 to 30 kt with gusts up to 40 kt and seas of 8-13ft expected.
... for the Monterey Bay in effect until 3AM Friday
*Southwest winds 15 to 25 kt with gusts up to 45 kt and seas 8 to 10 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 hazardous conditions.
**WIND ADVISORY**
…for coastal Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties and the Santa Cruz Mountains in effect until 10AM Friday.
*Southwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph possible.
*The combination of wind and moist soils will increase the risk for downed trees.
*The High Wind Warning has been replaced with a Wind Advisory.
…and for interior Monterey County, San Benito County, and the Santa Clara Valley and Diablos in South Santa Clara County in effect from until 10AM Friday.
*Southwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 55 mph expected. Isolated gusts up to 60 mph possible in the higher elevation.
*Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. The combination of wind and moist soils will increase the risk for
downed trees.
Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution.
Overnight: Partly to mostly cloudy with rounds of showers moving through. Gusty west-southwesterly winds at times. Isolated thunderstorms possible with a very slight chance of waterspouts. Lows in the 40s to low 50s.
Friday (Valentine’s Day): Mostly cloudy with scattered shower early, then becoming partly cloudy with isolated showers. Showers ending by mid-afternoon. Highs in the 50s to around 60ºF. Gusty northwesterly winds at times, slowly tapering off.
Saturday: Chilly in the morning, then partly cloudy and warmer with highs in the upper 50s to mid-60s. Breezy at times.
Extended: Sunday may be a touch warmer, though a cold front will arrive late. The front may bring a few sprinkles after dark, but that’s about it. After initially cooler weather Monday, temps will warm back up Tuesday/Wednesday—back to seasonal normal.
*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 21st - February 27th 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 14th 54.2ºF (avg of 7 buoys)
[February Avg. SST: 54.9ºF]
