WATSONVILLE — Blistering cold temperatures, driven further down the thermometer by strong winds, gripped the Monterey Bay area starting New Year’s Eve, bringing frost to some regions and a low of 29 degrees in Watsonville.
Meteorologist Spencer Tangen of the National Weather Service of Monterey said a relatively dry air mass, combined with light winds and clear skies, brought on the cold conditions. He said that by Friday things should start to warm slightly and that by Saturday rain should arrive.
Tangen said that starting Saturday a storm system will bring rain, on and off, through the day with clearing early Sunday.
“We’re expecting stronger winds on Saturday,” he said. “There could be gusts of 20-30 miles per hour, and as high as 40 mph. It’s a good time to think about tying things down that might be blown over.”
By Monday, another weather system might produce showers as far south in Watsonville with less rain than on Saturday.
Tangen went on to add that the next weather system could visit this region by mid-week.
