Puddle Patrol On High Alert This Week

WEATHER STORY
Buckle up for several days of on and off rain. The first storm system arrived last night, providing some light precipitation mostly within Santa Cruz County. The cold front will gradually dissipate over our area into the early afternoon. A broad and stronger system will affect our area from late Wednesday night through Friday as well bringing moderate rain and gusty conditions. Warmer weather is then expected out of the weekend.

AIR QUALITY: GOOD

Tuesday: Occasional light rain early, then becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon. Seasonably cool with highs in the upper 50s to 60s on the coast and 60s to around 70ºF inland. Breezy at times around the river mouths, then becoming windy for inland valleys in the afternoon.

Overnight: After dark, low clouds and potential fog will develop around Monterey Bay and within interior valleys. Some drizzle will be possible. Lows will be a bit cooler in the low 40s inland, mid 40s at the coast.

Wednesday: Partly cloudy on the coast and mostly clear inland. Cool, with highs in the upper 50s to 60s for most areas. Winds pick up in the afternoon, clouds increase late with some rain possible on the coast before midnight.

Extended: The first rounds of rain from the late-week system will arrive as early as Wednesday night then expect on and off rain for the coastal mountains especially throughout the overnight into Thursday with the actual cold front of moderate rain arriving later in the day. Showers will then likely follow into Friday. All the way, expect occasionally gusty conditions. Temperatures will warm through the weekend as high pressure builds in.

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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 47ºF
HIGH: 66ºF

--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 43ºF
HIGH: 72ºF

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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for April 26^th – May 2^nd calls for the likelihood of ABOVE normal temperatures and BELOW normal precipitation.
- El Niño/La Niña STATUS: La Niña Advisory
- Forecast into Summer: Weak La Niña

-Area drought status: “Severe Drought” for most of the viewing area with the far eastern fringes of Santa Benito and southeastern corner of Monterey County in “Extreme Drought.”