Yesterday the Central Coast set record highs and today inland temps remained very warm but conditions closer to the ocean eased a little. The ridge of high pressure over The West has a trough passing thru it, which weakens the offshore flow and that weakness along with the contrast in temperature between the water and the air above it will promote more marine layer development near the water-line over the next few days.
Inland this is not much of a factor, we have already passed the point on the calendar where inland temps are on average warmer than coastal temps (in winter inland temps are cooler than coastal temps on average).
The marine layer depth looks to be low enough that interior temps stay in the 80s into the coming weekend.
Coastal valleys are (as one might expect) in the middle with both the marine influence to moderate temps but also enough sun to keep temps warmer than average into the weekend, but just not near-record levels any longer.
Saturday we'll start to see a stream of clouds enter the region but we'll still be dry.
There is agreement among the computer models that rain is coming but there are some disagreements on timing and intensity. Right now the American GFS likes the system to arrive Sunday and last thru Monday. The EURO likes a Monday system that "could" linger into Tuesday. The models flip-flopped their views on rain, now the GFS is more bullish. Our forecast range has been 5.-1" so far but I'm going to open up the high side to 1.5" and also put rain potential in as early as Sunday (more likely Sunday PM).
I'd hate to give the impression that the weekend is without a rain chance at this point. People should stay tuned to the forecast because we'll definitely be dialing in the timing and intensity more as the system draws closer.
It is badly needed rain with the drought growing and time running out on the statistical portion of the year where moderate rains are possible. April on average only gets about 1" of rain for the Central Coast. Sure, there have been big rains in April they just aren't something you want to bank on from a statistical perspective.
