Cooling trend and Monsoon moisture, Sunday forecast July 14th

A very interesting day weather wise with plenty to talk about. Inland heat continues, but a return to more normal temperatures continues. The marine layer has strengthened which means some beaches saw fog lingering all day. Lastly, the Monsoon flow ramped up with a few scattered thunderstorms developing. Heat warnings are expected to drop as we head in to Sunday, however temperatures could still warrant an advisory or two for our warmest inland regions. Monsoon chances will diminish through the evening as the atmosphere cools off, but scattered thunder is possible once again on Sunday. Conditions around the Lake Fire have improved as the heat diminishes, erratic winds could develop from scattered thunder as well as more dry lightning. This means fire fighters will continue to stay very busy and vigilant as they attempt to further contain the very large fire.

Looking ahead, we will head in to next week with a nice and quiet mid July pattern. We may even see inland areas drop below normal with highs only in the 90's. Coastal areas will continue to see a robust and persistent marine layer with coastal highs in the 60's and 70's. Afternoon winds will kick up in and around the Lake Fire region, but should stay below advisory levels. The good news is that humidity levels at night should also increase for portions of the fire area and that will help to quiet the flames for the overnight. Smoke will drift south and east with occasional turns toward the west. Everyone should monitor air quality and be careful if ash is present or the smell of smoke. Our long range forecast models are a little split on what to expect for latter half of next week. We could see a return of more heat or a holding pattern with what we see now. It is Summer and that usually means heat waves come and go. We'll update forecast through Sunday and see if more Heat Watches will be needed for late next week. In the meantime, enjoy the overall cooling trend and return of the marine layer.