The Week Remains Warm and Clear. Cooling for the Weekend.

Did you get outside yesterday?  I sure hope you did.  It was toasty.  More of the same (and perhaps a bit warmer) today and tomorrow.  If you really want to get into some heat, head into the Santa Cruz mountains around Felton.  They are expecting mid to high 70s today.  Santa Cruz is forecasted for the low 70s the next two days.  Slightly cooler in SF and around the bay.  And get it while it lasts.  Because all good things do come to an end.  And besides, we need some rain.

Cooling should begin on Friday, which the real change occurring over the weekend.  Still, it is remain warm and sunny for the most part, with high temperatures dropping 5-10 degrees through the weekend.  A slight rebound is expected through the first half of next week.  Low temperatures hover in the high 30s to low 40s throughout the bay area.  In the interior, fog continues through this week, but may be displaced by sun by next Monday.

The next system of interest is scheduled for Sunday afternoon into Monday.  Currently the track is for the storm to remain well north of our forecast area.  We will continue to watch closely, as a slight shift in our high pressure to the west will allow this system to slide over us and bring rain and additional cooling.  We can expect to see at least a few high clouds over the area late Sunday.  Greatest chance of precipitation is to the north east.  Tahoe and the mountains have a slight chance of precipitation and perhaps a dusting of new snow.

Surf continued well over head on Monday and dropped significantly on Tuesday.  Yet, it did not go away completely.  We are expecting the arrival of a new overhead swell today that will fill in and remain through Friday.  Winds continue light through Friday morning, then a NW wind kicks up for the weekend.  Up in the mountains, the snow is expected to be soft mid week, with firmer conditions over the weekend.  No need to get out early. Enjoy your coffee and hit those sunny slopes mid morning.

If you got a little gardening done, you have done well.  There is still some time to get new lettuce or kale in the ground.  Our young Brussles and sprouting broccoli are looking happy.  Another week of decent weather is all they need to take hold.  So I am feeling pretty good about the plantings.  Our garlic and favas are looking real good and the fava plants have started to put out their crazy looking flowers.  I just hope the bees are not all on vacation.  As a reminder, you may need to water your gardens and lawns, as we have now gone over three weeks with no significant rain.  Most of the ground around here is still wet, but areas with good drainage have dried out.  Check your plants.  And now is the time to start thinking about next year's tomato crop.  The local markets are looking pretty good, but lettuces and spinach took a pretty hard hit in December, so supplies are thin (and prices high).  Still some local apples out there, such as Pippins and Fuji, but expect that to dwindle.  Sunchokes and parsnips are particularly plentiful.  Now, if the weather would just cool, we could stew something.

We are still keeping an eye on the long term and late in the first week of February.  We are seeing signs of a pattern change, but it is still too early to tell.  The PNA forecast is trending negative and the NOA forecast is trending positive.  If this comes to pass, the storm doors will open and winter will return.  Stay tuned.

In summary, continued beautiful weather this week.  Some cooling and possible clouds for the weekend.  Nice weather again early next week.  And remember, a very slight chance of rain for Sunday evening.