Hello, Central Coast! It’s been a rainy, windy, cool, and cloudy Easter weekend so far. Hope you have kept your jackets and umbrellas close by! There is a possibility we could see some precipitation at the start of the next workweek. Be sure to stay weather-aware!
Here are the latest weather headlines on the Central Coast:
We are expecting to have off and on again rain, and mountain snow showers, with thunderstorms continuing through the weekend and it could linger into Monday. Some storms could produce strong winds, hail, and heavy downpours. However, daytime temperatures will remain well below normal through Monday. A slight warming trend will arrive next week as high pressure aloft will swing temperatures to well above normal on Tuesday and Wednesday. Lastly, by the end of next week, we could see gusty northwest winds, cooler conditions, and a growing chance of light rain.
Here is a look at your extended forecast:
The cold front that brought a band of steady moderate to heavy rain is now pushing through San Diego County. We are now firmly into phase two of our storm, as the system's core slowly pushes into southern California. This part of the storm is very cold aloft, which creates an unstable atmosphere. However, the cold dense air aloft wants to sink and turn over the lower atmosphere.
As a result, off and on again showers will dominate California through Easter Sunday. Communities across the Central Coast should expect more rain today, tonight, and Sunday but with plenty of breaks in between. Some showers however will produce heavy downpours, with rain rates pushing towards 0.50 to 0.75 inches in less than an hour.
The risk for Flash Flooding remains in place for the Central Coast. Unfortunately, due to the convective nature of this storm phase, it is impossible to predict exactly when and where those heavier downpours will form, so San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties will remain in a Flood Watch through 6 p.m. on Sunday.
In addition, there is a significant risk of severe storms producing damaging winds or hail. This risk is highest through this evening. A Wind Advisory remains in effect for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties until 10 p.m. on Saturday. But winds could still increase over 20+mph for some areas along throughout the Central Coast Sunday afternoon.
As the Central Coast gets additional rainfall, many areas could receive an additional 0.25 to 0.50 inches of rain this weekend. Still, some areas will likely see an additional 1 to 2 inches over the south-facing mountain and foothill locations. Snow levels will remain in the 4,500 to 5,500-foot range.
By Monday, models have indicated that the storm's core will be centered over northern Baja California and much weaker. There will be enough lingering moisture to keep a chance of showers over the mountains. With a northeast steering flow aloft, any showers that form could drift off into the coastal and valley areas. Any lingering precipitation should be light.
Otherwise, conditions will quickly swing from cold and showery on Sunday to dry and rather warm by Tuesday. Warm conditions will continue on Wednesday with highs in the 70s to maybe even 80.
Central Coast, don’t forget to download the KSBY Microclimate App for the latest weather headlines throughout the area.
Stay warm, be weather-aware, and keep your jackets and umbrellas close by.
Have a great weekend, Central Coast!
