The Central Coast is set to experience much warmer conditions through the weekend as high pressure builds overhead, peaking on Friday and Saturday.
While some coastal areas will remain milder under a shrinking marine layer, a significant cooling trend is on tap for next week with the return of low clouds and fog pushing back into the valleys.
Warmth Building Through Saturday:
High pressure is strengthening over the region, and we can expect warmer temperatures to continue through Saturday. Inland areas will see the most significant warming, with Friday and Saturday potentially pushing into the 80s and even upper-90s in the warmest locations. Coastal areas will also warm, but the presence of a shrinking marine layer will help to moderate temperatures closer to the beaches.
There is some uncertainty regarding overnight lows, which play a role in overall heat risk. However, current high temperature forecasts are approaching daily records for some inland locations. We will be closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with surrounding weather offices.
The marine layer is rapidly retreating today and is not expected to extend far into the valleys. We anticipate even less cloud cover on Friday and Saturday mornings, with a strong possibility of dense fog developing near the coast, which could potentially lead to some airport delays.
Looking Ahead: Significant Cooling Next Week
A vigorous cooling trend is expected from Sunday through Tuesday. An upper-level low pressure system will spin out of the Pacific Northwest and into Northern California, causing heights to fall and onshore flow to increase. This will lead to a steadily increasing marine layer cloud pattern, with slow to no clearing returning to many coastal locations. Rain may return to the forecast, models have been inconsistent if this is a serious item to include or not.
Most areas can expect a 4 to 8-degree drop in temperatures on Sunday, followed by an even more significant cooling of 8 to 12 degrees by Tuesday (with coastal areas cooling a more moderate 2 to 4 degrees). By Tuesday, maximum temperatures will likely be in the 60s across the coasts and valleys, or 4 to 8 degrees below normal.
The strengthening onshore flow next week may also produce gusty near-advisory level wind gusts in the afternoons and early evenings.
