Mild and dry conditions Thursday, tracking rain by Friday night

A weak ridge of high pressure sits over the Central Coast on Thursday. Conditions will continue to be dry and warm before a big change arrives late Friday night. For many micro climates, the warmest day of this week will be Thursday.

Winds stay moderately light, weak offshore flow continues on Thursday as well, keeping clouds to a minimum. With clear skies into the evening, overnight lows remain chilly as well as the early morning hours. A high surf advisory remains in effect for beaches north of Point Conception. The advisory is set to expire by 10 a.m. Thursday. Temperatures on Thursday will be in the high 60s for the coast, and 70s for the valleys and interior areas.

The big story arrives Friday afternoon as rain showers begin, persisting until Tuesday of next week. An atmospheric river along with a bomb cyclone, known as a intense low pressure system will bring cold and heavy rain showers to northern California beginning today. As it makes its way to us, it will weaken, but will still bring widespread showers to our coverage area. According to models today, rain totals by next Tuesday are looking to be about an inch to an inch and a half. First Alert Weather will be tracking the first rain storm of the season as we move into the work week.

Plan accordingly for the weekend, it will be a cold and wet weekend with the chance of gusty winds. Wind speeds are looking to be just below advisory levels for the weekend. Whatever plans you make this weekend, especially for those traveling for Thanksgiving, grab a coat, umbrella and take extra time to travel.