Winter, Is That You??
AIR QUALITY:
GOOD for most areas
WEATHER STORY
We’ll get a bit of a break from rain for a few days—but only a few days! A cooler, drier air mass will move in for the next few days with chilly mornings Friday and Saturday. A stronger system will then arrive out of the weekend bringing moderate to heavy rain along with gusty winds. Additional rain will be possible for the remainder next week. We’ll also see a chance of thunderstorms on Tuesday along with lowering snow levels. There are a lot of pieces with this coming system, so please stay tuned to the forecast.
Friday: Mostly sunny with a few high clouds passing through. Cool, with highs in the 50s for most areas.
Overnight: Mostly clear with very chilly temperatures and frost likely inland and even at some parts of the coast.
...below text from the National Weather Service
***FREEZE WATCH***
TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...
* WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 28 possible.
* WHERE...Southern Salinas Valley/Arroyo Seco and Lake San
Antonio.
* WHEN...From late tonight through Saturday morning.
* IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other
sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor
plumbing.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. To prevent
freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes they should
be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly. Those that have
in-ground sprinkler systems should drain them and cover above-
ground pipes to protect them from freezing.
Saturday: Colder in the morning with widespread frost inland (lows in the mid 20s to mid 30s) and patchy frost to the coast (lows in the 30s). Skies remain mostly sunny through the day with an increase late. Expect highs in the 50s to low 60s.
Extended: Clouds will begin to increase in advance of a weather system that won’t really be here until later in the day on Sunday. This is a stronger system and will be packed with wind & rain. Rain is possible starting Sunday night and then likely on Monday and could be heavy at times in the coastal mountains. A secondary system will keep the rain machine going into Tuesday where lowering snow levels and the chance for thunderstorms will make things even more interesting. Additional waves follow, bringing more rain later in the week.
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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 43ºF
HIGH: 61ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 38ºF
HIGH: 62ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for December 17th – 23rd calls for the likelihood of BELOW normal temperatures and ABOVE normal precipitation.
- El Niño/La Niña STATUS: La Niña Advisory
- Forecast into Winter: Weak La Niña
-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”
