Damp Morning, Cool & Windy Friday Afternoon
Ending the work week seasonably cool, cloudy, and damp. The moist onshore flow will continue to bring bouts of drizzle to the coast, especially the eastern portions of the Monterey Bay, near coastal cities, and perhaps even the northern part of the Salinas Valley. West-northwest winds and clouds will now favor these areas throughout the day, Friday. A weakening cold front will continue to generate some isolated showers at the coast, with a chance of showers for interior mountains of San Benito and Monterey counties by Friday afternoon. Northwest winds will strengthen, with occasional gusts around 30-40mph near the immediate coast and valleys. A gradual warming trend through the weekend with dryer and sunnier conditions. More in the extended forecast below..
AIR QUALITY: Good
Friday: Partly to mostly cloudy, with a chance of drizzle and an isolated shower near the coast. Light showers possible over interior mountain ranges of San Benito and Monterey counties. Some sunshine will sneak through this afternoon inland and on the north side of the bay. Northwest winds will be gusty. Highs will still be on the cool side mainly in the low to mid 60s.
***GALE WARNING***
… in effect from 9am Friday to 3am Saturday for Coastal Waters from Point Pinos to Point Piedras
Blancas California out to 10 nm.
*Northwest winds 20 to 30 kt with gusts up to 40 kt expected.
*Strong winds will cause hazardous seas which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
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: Clouds will scatter out, becoming partly cloudy to mostly clear, with coastal locations continuing to see partly to mostly cloudy skies. Patchy fog possible for sheltered valleys and on north side of the bay, but breezy northwest winds (gusty at times) will make it difficult for fog to form elsewhere. Lows will be cooler, especially in areas with clearer conditions. Mainly 40s inland, upper 40s to low 50s near the coast.
Saturday: Dryer conditions, with partly cloudy skies early in the day inland becoming mostly sunny by lunchtime. Coastal areas will continue to see scattered clouds. Highs still seasonably cool, but warmer, low to mid 60s at the coast, upper 60s to low 70s inland. Winds remaining breezy, gusty at times.
Extended: Seasonable conditions will return to the Central Coast this weekend. Partly cloudy skies will give way by Saturday afternoon to mostly sunny conditions. However, the breezy onshore flow will keep some clouds near the coast. Sunday is looking sunnier for most. The warming trend will carry us through the early part of next week, especially inland as a weak ridge of high pressure nudges in from the west. Those gusty northwest winds will continue through the weekend. Remaining dry the majority of next week… for now.
*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: 47ºF
HIGH: 64ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 42ºF
HIGH: 71ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for May 3rd - 9th 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
