Coastal Clouds, Inland Warmth

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) – Monday will be the warmest day of the week for most of us as high pressure off to the southwest exerts its strongest influence over our area. The pattern flattens out through mid-week, bringing cooler temperatures aloft and allowing for a deeper marine layer.  
 
Air Quality: Good to Moderate 
 
Overnight: Low clouds for the coast and inland valleys with patchy fog in the hills. Lows in the 40s to around 50ºF, though for clear southern valleys, 30s can be expected. Light winds.  
 
Monday: Low clouds clear back to the coast by afternoon, though some may linger on the south side of the bay. Otherwise, a few high clouds passing through. Slightly warmer with coastal highs in the upper 50s to upper 60s and 70s to mid-80s inland. Windy up valleys late in the day. Low clouds thicken late. 
 
Tuesday: Low clouds on the coast and in the valleys early, clearing back to the coast by afternoon. Slightly cooler with coastal highs in the upper 50s to mid-60s and upper 60s to low 80s inland. Windy up valleys late in the day. Low clouds thicken again late with patchy drizzle possible.   

Extended: Drizzle may be possible along the coast into Wednesday morning as the marine layer deepens. An approaching trough will help in that process but also stir up the winds through the end of the week. High temperatures dip back to or below normal by Wednesday and will remain that way through the weekend. A weak system passing by in the Friday/Saturday timeframe may bring a few showers, but certainty remains low.  

*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. 

This week's normal temperatures:  
--COASTAL CITIES--  
LOW: 46ºF  
HIGH: 64ºF      
 
--INLAND CITIES--  
LOW: 42ºF  
HIGH: 71ºF      

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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for April 28^th – May 4^th calls for the likelihood of near normal temperatures and ABOVE 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: Abnormally dry for far 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 20th: 55.6ºF (avg. of 7 buoys) [Historic April Avg. SST: 55.1ºF]