Warmer, with Lots of Sunshine

WEATHER STORY

High pressure will rule the weather on the West Coast for the next week or two! General offshore flow will persist day to day keeping temperatures seasonable to slightly warm for this time of year. Offshore winds could get gusty in the hills on Friday especially. Rain will remain a memory until the ridge breaks down, but that may be two weeks away.

Air Quality: GOOD to MODERATE.

Rest of Thursday: Sunny and warmer with highs in the 60s to low 70s. Winds pick up over the hills again late.

Overnight: Fog is possible around the Monterey Peninsula, but offshore flow should keep most of the region clear. Lowest temperatures will be in the low 40s on the coast, and the majority of inland spots will be in the 30s.

**WIND ADVISORY**
... for the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Northern Diablo Range from 7AM Friday until 7AM Saturday.

• WHAT…North to Northeast winds 15 to 30 mph with gusts 40 to 55 mph expected. Gust of 60 to 70 mph are possible over the highest peaks of the North Bay Mountains and East Bay Hills.
  
• WHERE…North Bay, East Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains and San Francisco Peninsula Coast.
  
• WHEN…From 7 AM Friday to 7 AM PST Saturday.
  
• IMPACTS…Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects.

Friday: Northeasterly winds could be gusty at times over the hills. Otherwise, sunny and dry with offshore breezes to the coast. Expect highs in the 60s to low 70s.
 
Extended: Sunny to mostly sunny with seasonable to slightly warm highs through the weekend. Some cooling early next week with the influx of a few clouds. Otherwise, tranquil and dry.

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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 43ºF
HIGH: 62ºF

--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 38ºF
HIGH: 62ºF

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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for January 27^th – February 2^nd calls for the likelihood of near normal temperatures and BELOW normal precipitation.
- El Niño/La Niña STATUS: La Niña Advisory
- Forecast into Winter: Weak La Niña

-Area drought status: “Severe Drought” for most of the viewing area southern Monterey County now reduced to “Moderate Drought”