Rainy, Windy Weekend Ahead
Unsettled weather will last into the weekend as a potent winter storm to our north sends rounds of showers & wind ashore. Shower activity will pick up throughout the day on Friday—southwesterly winds pick up again as well. There will be lulls, but we’ll continue to see rounds of showers move in throughout the day Saturday as well with some showers lingering into Sunday. Temperatures will slowly cool to the point where our mountains will begin to see some snow starting late Friday night. Snow levels could get as low as 3,000ft. Some minor flooding issues and isolated wind damage seem likely into the weekend—but widespread issues are not expected. Additionally, our shores will endure high surf Friday & Saturday.
AIR QUALITY: Good
Friday: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers, becoming more widespread and heavier late. Brief downpours possible. Gusty southwesterly winds at times. Highs in the 50s to low 60s.
**HIGH SURF ADVISORY**
…in effect from 10AM Friday until 4PM Saturday for the immediate coast of Monterey & Santa Cruz Counties.
*Large breaking waves of 15 to 20 feet along exposed, west-facing beaches.
*Dangerous swimming and surfing conditions and localized beach erosion. Large waves can sweep across the beach without warning, pulling people into the sea from rocks, jetties, and beaches. These waves can also move large objects such as logs, crushing anyone caught underneath.
Inexperienced swimmers should remain out of the water due to dangerous surf conditions.
**WIND ADVISORY**
… in effect from 12PM Friday to 10am Saturday for portions of the Santa Cruz Mountains and eastern Santa Clara County.
*Southwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected.
… and in effect from 12PM Friday until 10AM Saturday for the higher terrain/mountains of Monterey & San Benito Counties
*Southwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph expected.
*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.
***GALE WARNING***
…for the near coastal waters from Pigeon Point to Point Pinos (outside of Monterey Bay) in effect from 3PM Friday until 3AM Saturday
-Southwest winds 20 to 30 kt with gusts up to 40 kt and seas 12 to 15 ft expected.
…and for Monterey Bay from 3PM Friday until 3AM Saturday
-Southwest winds 20 to 30 kt with gusts up to 40 kt and seas 8 to 12 ft expected.
… and for the near coastal waters from Point Pinos to Point Piedras Blancas from 3PM Friday until 9AM Saturday.
-Southwest winds 20 to 30 kt with gusts up to 35 kt and seas 12 to 17 ft expected.
Strong winds will cause hazardous seas which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility.
Mariners should alter plans to avoid these hazardous conditions. Remain in port, seek safe harbor, alter course, and/or secure the vessel for severe conditions.
Overnight: Mostly cloudy skies with on-going rounds of rain, moderate to heavy. Lows will be in the mid 40s to low 50s at the coast, low to mid 40s inland. Higher elevations will drop into the 30s. Snow likely for local mountain ranges. A slight chance of thunderstorms near the coast heading into dawn. Southwest winds remain gusty, with occasionally stronger gusts.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy with rounds of showers and gusty southwesterly winds. Brief downpours possible. Highs in the 50s. Snow above 3,500ft. Slight chance of thunderstorms near the coast.
Extended: Showers may linger into Sunday—and there is a possibility we’ll see more early Monday. Mornings will be cold with some inland valley frost potential. Then, we’ll await the next system to come down the line, somewhere mid-week.
*Note: Any alerts from the National Weather Service in Monterey will be noted in italics above. Alerts may be edited for brevity or local clarification (in parenthesis).
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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 45ºF
HIGH: 62ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 40ºF
HIGH: 65ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for March 8th - 14th calls for the likelihood of BELOW normal temperatures and ABOVE normal precipitation.
- ENSO (El Niño/La Niña) STATUS: El Niño Advisory, La Niña Watch
- ENSO Forecast: Transition from El Niño to neutral by Spring and then to La Niña by summer.
-Area drought status: Currently drought-free
