Warming Up
SALINAS, Calif. (KION) – Dry, warmer weather is on the way! We just have to get through one more ever-so-slightly unsettled day. Temperatures will remain cool and the wind blustery on Thursday as a storm system to our east continues to slowly move away. A few final showers will be possible over the higher terrain on Thursday afternoon—some of which could drift over more populated areas. Then, building high pressure will set us up for a warm weekend.
Air Quality: Good
**FROST ADVISORY**
...for the higher terrain and southern valleys of Monterey & San Benito Counties in effect from 2AM Thursday until 9AM Thursday.
*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.
Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.
Overnight: Clouds hug the mountains with a few low clouds over the valleys. An isolated light shower is possible in the coastal mountains due to ocean-effect, upslope flow. Patchy fog for low, sheltered areas. Otherwise, breezy at times, if not a bit windy in exposed areas. Lows in the 40s on the coast and 30s to low 40s inland.
Thursday: Becoming mostly sunny early, then cumulus buildup over the mountains into the afternoon. Isolated showers possible over the mountains with a southward drift. Gusty northwesterly onshore winds at times. Highs in the upper 50s to low 60s on the coast and low to mid 60s for inland valleys.
Friday: Patchy AM fog, then becoming mostly sunny with a few high clouds passing through and a few clouds over the hills. Breezy northwesterly onshore winds becoming windy up valleys in the afternoon. Warmer, with highs in the 60s on the coast and mid-60s to mid-70s inland.
Extended: The warmup continues Saturday into Sunday with highs stretching to well above normal values. Clouds will be on the increase Sunday as a weather system passes to our north. There is a slight chance that some rain could make it far enough south to reach our area—this is most likely late Sunday into early Monday. Temps will cool a bit on Monday with an increase in northwesterly winds, but a new ridge will build in, sending temperatures back to well-above-normal values through mid-week.
*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: 46ºF
HIGH: 64ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 41ºF
HIGH: 69ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for April 10th – 16th calls for the likelihood of ABOVE normal temperatures and BELOW normal precipitation.
- ENSO (El Niño/La Niña) STATUS: La Niña Advisory
- ENSO Forecast: Neutral conditions expected by April and then to persist into summer
- Area drought status: Moderate drought for far southeastern Monterey County. Abnormally dry for southeastern Monterey County and eastern San Benito County. Drought-free for the remainder of the KION coverage area.
Monterey Bay Sea Surface Temperature as of April 3rd: 54.2ºF (avg. of 7 buoys)
[Historic March Avg. SST: 55.1ºF]
