Hello, Central Coast! We are getting closer to the end of May and it seems that the ‘May Gray’ pattern will stay in the forecast as we transition into June!
Here’s the latest forecast for Memorial Day weekend.
Weather headlines:
-The ‘May Gray’ pattern will continue through next Saturday. The Central Coast beaches and coastal valleys are expected to have varying amounts of night and morning low clouds and fog. Otherwise, mostly clear skies will prevail.
-Temperatures are forecast to be a few degrees below normal for the early half of the upcoming workweek. Warm to near normal to a few degrees above normal temps are expected for the latter half of the workweek.
Extended forecast:
Our local radar model showed that the marine layer clouds from Saturday morning mostly cleared in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. However, that wasn’t the case for the eastern Santa Ynez Mountains and the adjacent coast early Saturday afternoon.
The low clouds have continued to linger in other communities in Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
The low clouds surrounding the beaches, coastal valleys, and coastal slopes changed to broken stratocumulus clouds, especially away from the coast. The stratocumulus clouds over these areas will probably stick around through the mid-afternoon but should scatter before sunset on Saturday evening. Otherwise, mostly sunny skies should prevail for the rest of Saturday.
On Saturday afternoon, temps should be slightly warmer than yesterday but will remain significantly below normal by as much as 6-12 degrees. Highs should reach the 60s and 70s for the beaches, coastal and interior valleys, and lower mountains.
Gusty northwest winds will move over southwest Santa Barbara County through Saturday afternoon. Winds are expected to be mostly sub-advisory through this afternoon. But other areas in the Central Coast may see breezy to gusty southwest-northwest winds through Saturday afternoon.
Sundowner winds at mostly sub-advisory levels should affect the western portions of the south Santa Barbara County’s coast and mountains Saturday evening through Tuesday. Otherwise, strong onshore gradients will bring breezy to gusty onshore flow to many areas. However, it will be the strongest during the afternoon and evening hours.
A broad northwest flow aloft from Saturday afternoon will turn more west-southwest through Sunday. Little change can be expected through Monday night before flat upper ridging moves into the region.
The marine layer May Gray pattern will continue through Tuesday across southwest California. The marine inversion is forecast to be around 3,000-3,500 feet on Saturday night, and then will slowly lower to around 1,500 feet Sunday night, and about 1,200-1,400 feet or so Monday night.
Low clouds and some fog should affect much of the coast and adjacent valleys tonight into Sunday morning and up to some of the lower coastal slopes. Night and morning low clouds and fog should continue Monday through Tuesday as well, with the low clouds not having as much inland penetration as the marine inversion lowers. The low clouds should clear to or off the coast for the most part each afternoon this week.
The Central Coast may see another warming trend on Sunday and Monday but it will then change a little by Tuesday. Even so, it should remain several degrees below normal during that period, except increasing to a few degrees above normal for the interior areas and some of the mountains for Monday and Tuesday.
Highs for much of the beaches, coastal and interior valleys, and lower mountains should be in the 60s and 70s on Sunday.
Highs on Monday and Tuesday will range around the 60s for the coastal valleys and beaches and in the lower 80s for the interior.
