Large, Dangerous Waves this Valentine’s Day
Showers linger into Friday as the storm system moves out. A few more waves will be with us for the morning commute, then only isolated showers tapering off around lunchtime. The other lingering impact of the system will be massive swells rolling in from the West! Breakers up to 45ft will be possible on west-facing beaches.
Air Quality: Good
***HIGH SURF WARNING***
… in effect until 3AM Saturday for coastal Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties including the Monterey Bay.
*Dangerously large breaking waves of 20 to 30 ft and up to 45 ft for the highest waves on west facing beaches. Non-west facing beaches will see 15 to 20 ft waves and up to 30 ft peak waves.
*Breaking waves can sweep people off jetties and docks, and into dangerous seas. Life-threatening swimming conditions and significant beach erosion can be expected. Sudden immersion in cold water can result in cold water shock even for the most experienced swimmers. Cold water shock can result in dramatic changes in breathing, heart rate and blood pressure, greatly increasing the risk of drowning in rough open waters.
Everyone should remain out of the water due to life-threatening surf conditions. Stay off of jetties, piers, and other waterside infrastructure.
Friday (Valentine’s Day): Mostly cloudy with scattered shower early, then becoming partly cloudy with isolated showers. Showers ending by mid-afternoon. Highs in the 50s to around 60ºF. Gusty northwesterly winds at times, slowly tapering off.
Overnight: Lows will be much cooler, temps will drop in to the 30s for most locations, upper 20s in southern valleys, and a few low 40s near the coast. Partly cloudy to mostly clear. However, areas of patchy fog possible, especially in the valleys/ open vegetated fields. Northwest winds will ease, breezy at times.
**FROST ADVISORY**
… for interior Monterey and most of San Benito Counties including areas, Santa Lucia Range, Cholame Hills, Southern Salinas Valley/Arroyo Seco, Lake San Antonio, and the Diablo Range in Santa Clara County.
*In effect from 1AM to 9AM Saturday.
*Temperatures as low as 32 will result in frost formation.
*Cold conditions will be hazardous to sensitive populations such as unhoused individuals. Cold conditions can lead to hypothermia with prolonged exposure.
Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.
Saturday: Chilly in the morning, then partly cloudy and warmer with highs in the upper 50s to mid-60s. Breezy at times.
Extended: Sunday may be a touch warmer, though a cold front will arrive late. The front may bring a few sprinkles after dark, but that’s about it. After initially cooler weather Monday, temps will warm back up Tuesday/Wednesday—back to seasonal normal.
*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.
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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 44ºF
HIGH: 61ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 39ºF
HIGH: 63ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for February 21st - February 27th calls for the likelihood of ABOVE normal temperatures and BELOW normal precipitation.
- ENSO (El Niño/La Niña) STATUS: La Niña Advisory
- ENSO Forecast: La Niña persists into spring, then transitions to neutral by summer.
- Area drought status: Moderate drought for eastern San Benito County and far southeastern Monterey County. Abnormally dry for the remainder of the viewing area.
Monterey Bay Sea Surface Temperature as of February 14th 54.2ºF (avg of 7 buoys)
[February Avg. SST: 54.9ºF]
