Monday Cold Front
SALINAS, Calif. (KION) – A weak cold front will arrive overnight bringing clouds, cooler temperatures, and perhaps some very light precipitation. A light, drizzly rain will be possible around the bay, favoring Santa Cruz County. A few sprinkles may be possible elsewhere. Clouds associated with the frontal system will hang around through late morning, before breaking up a bit in the afternoon. There is then a slight chance for a shower over the hills. Temperatures come back to normal on Tuesday, but the winds will pick up a bit. High pressure then takes over with warming through late week.
Air Quality: Good
*Beach Hazards Statement*
…for the entire immediate coast of Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties through Monday evening.
A moderate period northwesterly swell will result in an increased risk for sneaker waves and rip currents.
*Sneaker waves can unexpectedly run significantly farther up the beach than normal, including over rocks and jetties. These waves can suddenly knock people off their feet and quickly pull them into the cold ocean waters, where currents will be stronger than normal. These waves can also carry driftwood logs and other debris.
Remain out of the water to avoid hazardous swimming conditions.
Overnight: Increasing clouds with light rain/drizzle possible around the bay, favoring the north side of the bay. Sprinkles possible elsewhere, mainly on the coast and into northern valleys. Lows in the 40s.
Monday: Clouds slowly decreasing with an isolated shower possible over the inland mountains. Cooler, but seasonable with highs int he 60s on the coast and 60s-70s inland. Breezy onshore winds in the afternoon becoming windy up valleys late.
Tuesday: Low clouds and patchy fog early, then decreasing clouds with only a few high clouds passing through. Warmer, with coastal highs in the 60s to low 70s and widespread 70s inland. Breezy northwesterly onshore winds becoming windy up valleys late in the day.
Extended: Temperatures keep heading upward Wednesday and Thursday as high pressure builds in. It will move on into the weekend with Friday being the start of a cool-down. Clouds will increase as well. By Saturday, it’s possible that highs will actually be below normal, but some recovery is expected out of the weekend. Conditions are likely to remain dry, but a weak system will move through late Friday into Saturday, so we’ll keep an eye on that.
*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: 42ºF
HIGH: 70ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for April 14th – 20th 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 7th: 56.0ºF (avg. of 7 buoys)
[Historic March Avg. SST: 55.1ºF]
