Comfortable Weekday Conditions
Air Quality (as of 7:00AM)
GOOD to MODERATE for all reporting stations
WEATHER STORY
A trough of low pressure will deepen over the West Coast through mid-week. The marine layer will deepen in response. Temperatures will cool overall for most of the week and low clouds will be more of a presence. In the short term, some high level moisture will sneak in from the south Tuesday afternoon. At least one computer model (HRRR) is showing isolated high-based showers/thunderstorms, but I’m not on board with this. While I think we’ll see a few high clouds, that’s about it.
As we head into the Labor Day Weekend, high pressure will strengthen once gain—both from the east and west—which should compress the marine layer and bring warmer, above normal highs back to the region.
Tuesday: Low clouds will have more coverage in the morning and then remain flush with the coast for most of the day with only partial clearing. It will be a bit cool on the coast with highs in the 60s to around 70ºF. Inland areas will be cooler with highs ranging from the low 70s to mid 90s. Winds pick up for inland valleys in the afternoon and evening.
Overnight: Clouds start to creep into Watsonville and the surrounding areas of the bay in the early evening, filling out then to Santa Cruz and the peninsula after sundown and becoming thicker into the early hours of the morning. Patchy fog and drizzle are certainly possible on the coast.
Wednesday: Drizzle possible in the AM, then partly to mostly cloudy on the bay and sunny inland. Continued cool with coastal highs mainly in the 60s and 70s-80s inland. Winds pick up for inland valleys in the afternoon and evening.
Extended: Expect another cool day on Thursday, but a warming trend will begin on Friday and peak on Sunday with above normal highs returning. It may be short-lived on the coast, however.
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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 7th – 13th 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”
