Happy Thursday, Central Coast! Please have your umbrellas and jackets nearby today and Friday due to the precipitation expected to fall throughout the area. As a reminder, please be weather-aware and download the KSBY Microclimate App for the latest weather
updates.
Here are the latest weather headlines for the Central Coast:
A cold storm will move into the area today and will last through Friday, dropping temperatures significantly with increasing chances of rain and low-elevation mountain snow. California could also have a chance of thunderstorms that may occur later this evening through Friday. Lastly, this weekend will be dry and warmer. High temperatures, however, will remain below normal through Sunday, then near to above normal for the remainder of next week.
Here’s a look at your extended forecast:
An unseasonably cold upper low is currently a couple hundred miles northwest of the Bay Area. It has brought lowering heights and increased cyclonic flow to southern California and this has created an enormous stratus layer that covers all the coasts and valleys. This rapid formation and deepening of the marine layer will likely create some drizzle, especially near the foothills.
Since this is such a cold system it will not be able to hold much moisture and rainfall amounts will likely only range from about a quarter inch to a little over a half inch. Rainfall rates will mostly be under a quarter inch per hour but any thunderstorms that develop could pump out rates near 3/4s of an inch per hour. In addition to the rainfall any thunderstorms that develop could also produce quite a bit of small hail.
Snow will be the big talking point with this system which will likely bring the lowest snow levels of the season. Snow levels will start at 5000 feet this afternoon, but will plummet to 3000 feet this evening and will remain near that level Friday. Snow may fall as low as 2500 feet under any convective burst.
A winter weather advisory is in effect for most mountain areas above 3000 feet from this afternoon through Friday evening for a combination of snow, blowing snow, gusty winds, and frigid temperatures.
Here's a look at your KSBY 7-Day forecast! Temperatures Friday will fall another 2 to 4 degrees, bringing coast and valley temps down into the mid to upper 50s, which is 10 to 20 degrees below normal.
Showers and storms are expected to taper off Friday night, though there is a 15 percent chance of light snow showers over the north-facing mountains near the Grapevine through early Saturday.
Central Coast Advisory:
A High Surf Advisory is still in effect for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties until 3 p.m. Saturday.
Surf is expected to build rapidly on the Central Coast as a storm system begins to impact the coastal waters late Thursday. While the deep water northwest to west swell will reach impressive heights of up to 14-18 feet off the Central Coast, the swell periods will be moderate, peaking around 11-13 feet.
The only period of concern for coastal flooding is early Friday morning for northwest and west-facing beaches of the Central Coast, Ventura County, and Los Angeles County.
Nuisance coastal flooding is possible during high tide, which will occur between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.
