The Central Coast is heading into a cooler weekend, with a chance of morning drizzle on Saturday. However, much warmer temperatures are expected to return next week as high pressure builds over the region.
Today marks a transition as gradients begin to trend onshore. While the interior saw warmer temperatures today, the coast experienced little change.
As a trough advances southeast through northern and central California on Friday and Saturday, onshore flow will continue to increase, peaking on Saturday afternoon.
This will bring cooler temperatures each day. At the same time, cooling aloft will significantly deepen the marine layer. Forecasts suggest this could lead to a damp morning on Saturday, with drizzle possible across the coast and valleys. However, the upper low taking a more inland path with northwest flow aloft means the best chances for any drizzle may be further south. For the Central Coast, it will be a battle between the northwest flow aloft and the marine layer expanding from the southeast. By Saturday, temperatures will again be 5-15 degrees below normal.
Looking ahead, models now agree that the trough will take a more inland track, and the next upper low will also move farther inland. This increases confidence that a slow warming trend will begin on Sunday, with earlier clearing of the marine layer, especially inland.
Confidence remains high in much warmer temperatures next week, especially Tuesday and beyond, as high pressure builds and onshore flow weakens.
While specific temperature numbers for the Central Coast are not yet pinpointed in the extended forecast, the overall trend points towards a significant warm-up.
