Drier conditions Thursday with more winds
Light scattered showers may continue on the Central Coast here and there Wednesday evening, but for the most part, the rain will be a non-issue. There will be good clearing behind the exiting trough.
On Thursday, there will be periods of cloudy skies and periods of clear skies for the whole region as a second trough approaches. There is a slight chance of more rain showers, but the frontal band is expected to weaken and fall apart as it reaches us.
This will happen again on Friday and Saturday with a third trough. If anything, we might tack on a hundredth or two hundredths of an inch more to rain totals in some interior areas.
Northerly winds will increase on Thursday. Gusts will flirt with advisory criteria. Winds will continue to affect the region Friday and Saturday, especially on the South Coast each evening.
Temperatures will be in the 30s to 40s each morning through the weekend. In general, most cities will stay in the 60s in the afternoons, a few degrees below normal.
Next week, high temperatures will rise back into the 70s as weak ridging returns to California. We will also see a return to weak offshore flow and a change in the wind direction to come from the northeast. Santa Ana winds are likely to stay below advisory level in the absence of much upper-level support.
