A Tad Toasty
Air Quality (as of 9:00 AM)
GOOD for nearly all reporting stations, MODERATE reports in Fort Hunter Liggett.
WEATHER STORY
A weak trough of low pressure over the West Coast will slowly weaken in the coming days. The marine layer will also be compressed as influence from high pressure to our west takes over. The end result will a warmer, sunnier forecast as we head into the weekend. In addition, onshore flow will help push smoke away from our area.
Wednesday: Expect some clearing in the afternoon, especially over the northern half of the bay. Temperatures will head upward a bit, with coastal highs ranging from the low 60s to mid-70s—warmest on the north side of the bay, and mid-70s to mid-90s inland. Winds pick up for inland valleys in the afternoon and early evening.
Overnight: A swirl of low clouds will sweep over the peninsula and will filter as far north as the immediate Santa Cruz coastline. Clouds will roll inland as far as Salinas; valleys should stay mostly clear. Smoke will dissipate near completely overnight. Expect lows in the 50s for most areas.
Thursday: Warmer and sunnier yet, though we’ll still have some low clouds on the coast. Expect highs in the 60s-70s on the coast and mainly 80s-90s inland. Winds pick up for inland valleys in the afternoon and early evening.
Extended: The warming trend will keep on cookin’ into the weekend with coastal highs at or just above seasonal normal and inland highs running 5-7ºF above. Expect mostly sunny skies with only a few low clouds on the coast. Some thickening of the low clouds expected into mid-week next week.
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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 55ºF
HIGH: 72ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 52ºF
HIGH: 86ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for September 1st – 7th 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 and far eastern San Benito County considered “Exceptional Drought”
