Wet Holiday Week
AIR QUALITY:
GOOD for all reporting stations
WEATHER STORY
Dry, tranquil conditions come to a halt on Tuesday as the next storm system arrives. It will then be followed by several additional storm systems through the holiday weekend. The good news is that none of them look at that strong and they have been trending weaker. The bad news is that conditions will remain unsettled for most of the week with mountain snow and periods of rain for much of the state which will impact travel.
Tuesday: Partly cloudy early with increasing clouds late. Light rain possible in the coastal hills as early as late afternoon, but more likely after dark. Then, rain will slowly spread from northwest to southeast across the area overnight. Highs in the 50s to low 60s. Breezy southerly winds at times.
Overnight: Scattered showers expected across the region. Rainfall will become moderate at times for Santa Cruz County. Temperatures for the most part will sit in the high 40s to low 50s, although lower 40s are possible for valleys in southern Monterey County.
Wednesday: Periods of light rain under mostly cloudy skies early, then rain picks up especially in the south later in the day with the Sana Lucia Range being favored. Mild, with breezy southerly winds. Highs in the 50s to low 60s.
Extended: Another system will reinforce rainfall early Thursday with some clearing late. Unsettled, showery weather then possible into the weekend and beyond. During the period, expect cooler than normal temperatures.
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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 42ºF
HIGH: 60ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 37ºF
HIGH: 60ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for December 28th – January 3rd calls for the likelihood of BELOW normal temperatures and ABOVE normal precipitation.
- El Niño/La Niña STATUS: La Niña Advisory
- Forecast into Winter: Weak La Niña
-Area drought status: “Extreme Drought” for the entire viewing area with the far southeastern corner of Monterey County and far eastern San Benito County considered “Exceptional Drought”
