Warm End to the Week
WEATHER STORY
Expect another hot day on Friday as the big ol’ ridge of high pressure that brought record heat these past two days stands strong. Coastal areas will cool slightly with a bit stronger sea breeze in the afternoon, however. The ridge will then slowly weaken through the weekend though highs will remain WELL above normal. By early next week, however, the back door will be open, allowing a weather system to slip in from the north. Starved of moisture, it is not expected to bring much precipitation to the state. However, it will have some energy and could get a few light showers (and potentially even thundershowers) going locally. The system will also be accompanied by cooler temperatures and gusty winds.
Air Quality: GOOD for all areas
Friday: Sunny and hot once again. Light offshore breezes early in the day with a sea breeze in the afternoon. Record highs possible once again with highs expected to reach the mid 70s to mid 80s on the coast and upper 70s to mid 80s inland.
Overnight: Calm winds most of the night. Offshore flow keeps us clear of fog once again. Temperatures will be quite mild with lows in the 40s to mid 50s on the coast, 30s-40s for inland valleys and 50s up in the hills.
Saturday: Sunny and just a touch cooler, but still very warm for this time of year. Highs in the 70s-80s.
Extended: Very warm weather will continue Sunday. The pattern will shift a bit next week as a weather system slides in from the north-northeast. We’ll definitely see cooler temperatures and an increase in clouds. There is a slight possibility of rain showers in our area on Tuesday.
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This week's normal temperatures:
--COASTAL CITIES--
LOW: 44ºF
HIGH: 62ºF
--INLAND CITIES--
LOW: 39ºF
HIGH: 63ºF
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-The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for February 18th – 24th calls for the likelihood of ABOVE normal temperatures and BELOW normal precipitation.
- El Niño/La Niña STATUS: La Niña Advisory
- Forecast into Winter: Weak La Niña
-Area drought status: “Severe Drought” for most of the viewing area southern Monterey County now reduced to “Moderate Drought”
