Rain & Wind Most of Thursday
A potent storm system packed with cold air and tapping into Central Pacific moisture will arrive on today bringing moderate rain and gusty winds to the region. This fast-moving system won’t put down a ton of rain, but brief heavy rain will be possible along the cold front. Cold air will follow in behind it into Friday with a cold morning expected. Then, another colder, but dryer system will follow, though details are a little obscure so far. Moisture sill stream back in from the south as early as Friday night with the leading edge of the cold air likely waiting until later Saturday. It’s possible these two features will never marry up, but if they do, we should get another good dose of rain. If not, it may just be showery. Either way, showers are likely to linger into Monday. Temperatures look to remain chilly for the next week or more.
AIR QUALITY: Good
Thursday: Rain and wind pick up through late morning for most areas, though most valley locations will experience rain shadowing. Then, a cold front will bring gusty winds and brief heavy rain from northwest to southeast across the KION viewing area into mid-afternoon. Rain will decrease rapidly behind the front though it will remain breezy with isolated showers possible.
Overnight: A cold night ahead! Temperatures will plummet overnight with lows in the mid to upper 20s and low 30s for inland locations, mainly 30s for coastal areas. Clear skies and winds light. Widespread frost is possible, along with patchy frost near the coast.
***FREEZE WARNING***
… in effect from 11pm Thursday to 9am Friday. For Southern Salinas Valley, Arroyo Seco, and Lake San Antonio, Santa Lucia Mountains and Los Padres National Forest and Mountains of San Benito and Interior Monterey County including Pinnacles National Park.
* Sub-freezing temperatures of 25 to 32 degrees expected.
* Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.
* 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.
Friday: Cold and frosty in the morning, though mostly sunny through the afternoon. Highs in the 50s for most areas, with 40s up in the mountains. Clouds increase across the south later in the day with light rain possible across southern Monterey County after dark.
Extended: Rain is likely on Saturday with breezy to windy conditions, then showers linger Sunday & Monday. Snow levels will remain quite low—between 3-4kft. Highs remain in the 50s. ADVERTISING
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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 43ºF
HIGH: 62ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 38ºF
HIGH: 63ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for December 8th – 14th calls for the likelihood of BELOW normal temperatures and ABOVE normal precipitation.
- El Niño/La Niña STATUS: La Niña Advisory
- Forecast: Weak La Niña into the Winter
-Area drought status: “Severe Drought” for most of the viewing area with “Extreme Drought” in southern San Benito and southeastern Monterey Counties. The southeastern third of San Benito County has been upgraded to “Exceptional Drought”
