30 DAY OUTLOOK FOR COASTAL and VALLEY AREAS OF  CALIFORNIA
1000 PDT Apr 19 2004 
                                                           
During Apr 11-17 daily maximum temperatures averaged 1 degree below 
normal along the southern Calif coast, 2-3 below normal along the central
coast, 1-2 above normal in the interior Salinas Valley, 1-3 below in the
Sacramento Valley, 1-2 below in the Delta, 0-2 above in the central and S
San Joaquin Valley, 2 above normal in the S Desert valleys and 1-2 above at
Yuma Airport. Daily minimum temperatures averaged 2-3 above normal along the
S Calif coast, 1-3 above along the central coast, 1 above  normal in the
interior Salinas Valley, 1 below in the Sacramento Valley, 1-2 above normal
in the Delta, 3-6 above in the central and S San San Joaquin Valley,
near normal in the S Desert Valleys, and 6 above at Yuma Airport (inversions).
Rain was above normal in S Calif from LA County south due to an upper low,
but below normal elsewhere.

In the near term...we appear to be returning to a drier and warmer than normal
condition for all of Calif as upper high pressure rebuilds beginning this
weekend and continuing thru about 30th.  The dryness and warmth will be
greatest for N Calif and central Calif.  S Calif will see return of coastal
eddy conditions beginning this weekend and continuing thru 27 or 28th. This
means cool conditions for the S Calif coast, although S Calif inland valleys
will return to seasonably warm condition during 24-25th, and hot condition
during 26-28th.

For May 1-15th...
There is support for troughing in N Calif and the Pacific Northwest. We look
for above normal rainfall from Cape Mendocino north during this period, with
seasonably mild days, and much warmer than normal nights.  For N Calif this
means below normal incidence of frost or freeze events.  For central and S
Calif...the frost season is essentially completed, even for Edna Valley and
the central Salinas Valley.  With warmer than normal sea surface to the W of
Calif, and alternation between moist SW flow and a warm upper ridge, it will
be difficult to realize frost events in May.  The S Calif coast will tend to
have near normal temperatures due to coastal eddy influence.  Subnormal
rainfall is indicated for the Sierra Nevada, and central and southern Calif.
However, a stray cutoff upper low may cause a little above normal rainfall
in Arizona.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...Outlook for Imperial/Coachella/Yuma Valleys mid May-early June 2004...
Warmer than normal.  We may see some thunderstorms in May due to cutoff lows
or due to a possible monsoon-like burst from the tropical east Pacific.
But for the most part, however, dry and warm.
  ...Alan Fox /Fox Weather LLC...