Monsoon Watch
Air Quality (as of 6AM)
GOOD to MODERATE for all reporting stations
WEATHER STORY
It’s business as usual for the summertime over the next few days with the daily cycle of low clouds on the coast and winds in the valleys in the afternoon. Thin monsoon moisture aloft manifested as a few high clouds today, but a stronger pulse of moisture will begin to push in from the southeast this weekend. High cloudcover is likely, but there may also be a small chance of light rain showers. Smaller scale features may help cause instability that could lead to thunderstorms, but those haven’t really evolved in the models yet and will have to be watched. Coastal highs will likely go up a few degrees out of the weekend, while increased cloudcover will keep a lid on inland heat.
Friday: Coastal low clouds scatter to partly cloudy in the afternoon, concentrating on the south/east sides of the bay. Mostly sunny elsewhere with just a few high clouds passing through. Expect coastal highs in the 60s to low 70s—warmest on the Santa Cruz side of the bay—and 70s to around 100ºF inland. Winds will pick up for the major valleys in the afternoon and early evening.
Overnight: Low clouds fill back in around the bay and into inland valleys with patchy fog possible. Expect lows in the 50s for most areas.
Saturday: Overcast for the coast and nearby valleys in the morning with patchy fog, then coastal low clouds scatter to partly cloudy in the afternoon, concentrating on the south/east sides of the bay. Mostly sunny elsewhere with just a few high clouds passing through. Expect coastal highs in the 60s to low 70s—warmest on the Santa Cruz side of the bay—and 70s to around 100ºF inland. Winds will pick up for the major valleys in the afternoon and early evening.
Extended: Monsoon moisture surges into the region Sunday into Monday. High clouds will thicken, cooling inland areas. With cooler weather inland, there is less pressure to pull cool air off the water, so coastal areas—especially areas not right on the water, will begin to warm up. Light rain showers will be possible with the high clouds and there is a slight of a thunderstorm developing. The finer details have yet to be resolved, so stay tuned to the forecast!
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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 55ºF
HIGH: 69ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 53ºF
HIGH: 86ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for July 30th – August 5th calls for the likelihood of ABOVE normal temperatures and near normal precipitation*.
*Note: little to no precipitation usually falls this time of year.
-El Niño/La Niña STATUS: Neutral
-Forecast into Winter: La Niña Watch
-Area drought status: “Extreme Drought” for the entire viewing area with the far southeastern corner of Monterey County considered “Exceptional Drought”
