One more, then we are going dry in the county.

Better enjoy your eggnog while you can, as we are going dry.  Okay, maybe I mean a different kind of dry, but still, enjoy that eggnog while it is around.  I like mine with a little warm bourbon.  Especially while wrapping gifts.  Anyway, this is a weather blog, so let's get to the important stuff.  remember that awesome weather I promised you?  Well, mother nature seemed to have different plans.  That quick storm for Thursday night lingered into Friday and into the night.  Hell, it was still basically around early Saturday morning.  And those clouds did not clear out, while just inland and in the mountains, rain and snow continued for most of the day.  Sunday turned out fairly nice, but we start off today with a fairly low fog bank.  And warm air.  It is warm out, at least.  Fog should clear by late morning, and once it does, the sky should be mostly clear of clouds.  So, expect a nice afternoon and evening.  Might be a good time to mention the King Tides as well.  A few minutes before sunset today is one of the lowest tides of the year at negative 1.2 feet.  If you, or your little ones, enjoy poking around the tide pools, you really can't get much better than tonight.  So head on down to west cliff, climb down the rocks, and hit up those rare beaches that hardly ever show their sand.  I heard yesterday about some really cool pools around Mitchells Cove.  Go get some.  Highs will reach into the upper 60s today if we can get a start to warming.  Tuesday looks like a duplicate.

Same Monarch, different angle.  Go enjoy them as that sun begins to shine.  Lighthouse Field.  Santa Cruz.

Surf has been dropping since a peak Saturday morning.  A new swell should arrive mid day Tuesday, boosting wave heights back up.  This high pressure did not quite fill in as planned, so instead of calm winds, we are seeing the NW gradient pick up in the afternoons.  Almost a summer like pattern.  That will get modified on Wednesday as we see another low pressure system approach from the north.  This morning's GFS is looking more progressive.  And I, for one, hope it is right.  Tahoe received a good amount of rain drizzle on Saturday night, saturating the snow pack.  Temps are warm up there now, but should drop by Christmas Day.  If we do not get at least a few inches on top of that, things will be pretty firm and icy over the holiday stretch.  As our next rain/snow maker looks like it will not come until 2015.  So, yeah, expect a short burst of moderate to heavy rain late on Christmas Eve (Wednesday night) that should clear out by morning.  Perhaps some showery weather on Thursday.  Wednesday will be quite a bit cooler than Tuesday and by Thursday, highs will be topping out about 60F.  Overnight lows by Thursday night should drop low 40s.

Cool air settle into place for Friday and the weekend.  But as stated above, it looks like we will actually get a period of sunny weather lasting into the new year.  The models suggest a few back door sliders impacting the region just to our east.  A little adjustment to the high pressure and these could bring some cold storms across our area.  Not likely, but don't stop paying attention.  Surf looks good through this coming week, but with that big blocking high, expect a drop in the surf by this coming weekend.  Pray for some fresh snow, especially if you plan to schuss during the holidays.  I'll update again tomorrow and get a closer look at the possible Christmas Eve storm.