Warmth is Here, Sun to Follow

Air Quality (as of 9:00 AM)
GOOD to MODERATE for all reporting stations.

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 in the short term, but northerly winds will develop on Friday which could bring the smoke back for the weekend!

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 with 80s to low 100s inland. Winds pick up for inland valleys in the afternoon and early evening.

Overnight: A similar low cloud pattern arrives this evening, blanketing the immediate coast and just making it to the neighboring valleys. Patchy fog is likely.

Friday: A few low clouds in the morning, then sunny and warmer. Widespread upper 60s to 70s on the coast and 80s to around 106ºF inland. Winds pick up for inland valleys in the afternoon and early evening. Becoming hazy.
 
Extended: The warming trend will keep on cookin’ into Saturday with highs 3-7ºF above normal for this time of year.  Expect mostly sunny skies with only a few low clouds on the coast. Some thickening of the low clouds expected out of the weekend with a slow cooldown for most areas.

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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 2^nd – 8^th 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”