MONTEREY — Monterey County will get a little break in the rain and wind this weekend, though gray skies are expected to return again early next week.
A high surf advisory remains in effect for Pacific Coast beaches through Friday morning. Large breaking waves of 18 to 22 feet are expected, along with an increased risk of sneaker waves and strong rip currents. Officials warn the conditions create dangerous swimming and surfing, and waves can sweep people from beaches and rocks without warning.
A 50 percent chance of rain is forecast Thursday afternoon, mainly before 4 p.m., with mostly cloudy skies and temperatures near 51. West northwest winds around 20 mph are expected, with gusts up to 33 mph. Little additional rainfall is expected.
“We’re expecting a break, especially during the day on Friday and Saturday,” said Roger Gass, meteorologist for the National Weather Service Bay Area headquartered in Monterey. “The rain will be light, and the temperature will be a little cooler. Thursday night the temperature is expected to drop into the 30s.”
Friday is expected to turn partly sunny with a high near 54 and lighter winds. Mostly sunny conditions continue Saturday with a high near 59. A slight chance of rain returns late Saturday night into early Sunday morning, followed by mostly sunny skies Sunday and a high near 64.
Dry and partly sunny weather is expected Monday with a high near 66, though there’s a chance rain returns late in the day.
“It looks like a bigger storm Monday night into Tuesday, but these will be warmer temperatures,” Gass said. “We’re also expecting another round of wind, but it’s a little early to see how strong it will be. Saturday into next week we can see anywhere from half an inch to three quarters of an inch of rain, and in higher elevations up to 3 inches.”
The rain and wind impacted the local area on the Monterey Peninsula Wednesday night. Monterey city officials reported several trees down overnight, including one blocking all lanes near Linda Vista and Monte Vista after falling across power lines. Another tree was reported down in the Iris Canyon area. Residents are advised to treat all downed power lines as energized and stay clear while crews respond.
Huckleberry Hill Nature Preserve closed Thursday because of hazardous storm conditions, while Iris Canyon reopened.
Power outages also peppered the Monterey Peninsula early Thursday morning, but by afternoon power had been restored for most.
