Last weekend’s break in clouds and rain was short-lived. The next few days will spell cloudier, wetter weather in the Humboldt Bay area after a weekend of warm temperatures and sun broke the late winter wall of grey.
“We won’t be seeing much of that this week,” said James White, a meteorologist for Eureka’s National Weather Service.
Some showers are expected for the next few days around the bay, on and off. There’s some increased chance of isolated thunderstorms Saturday morning, part of typical seasonal changes going into spring.
The region is stuck in a colder air mass than last week, said White, spelling a few days of colder weather.
The coldest temperatures will come Saturday morning and night but generally, daily temperatures will hang in the 50s for the weekend and into next week. Gusts, especially along ridges or the coast, are forecast up to 45 mph until early Saturday morning.
White said this system will keep marine conditions pretty chaotic, with strong winds and wave heights above 10 feet through the weekend.
“For the most part, those waves look pretty typical for these storms,” he said.
Beach conditions aren’t expected to be hazardous but he encouraged people to keep their eyes on the ocean. Last Friday and Saturday brought a risk of sneaker waves, but no reports of injuries from the beach hazard were reported to the National Weather Service.
The water year continues to be a bit above average, thanks to heavy storms in January pushing water. So far, this water year is accumulated about 38.5 inches of rain, with the normal just over 31 inches.
“We’re solidly above average, but nowhere near record-breaking,” said White, adding it’s a nice change from drought conditions a couple of years ago.
Sage Alexander can be reached at 707-441-0504.
