Rain, snow, heavy winds predicted for Monterey County this weekend.

Looks like it’s a good weekend to curl up with your favorite book, or start that movie marathon you’ve queued up in your favorite streaming service. 

Heavy thunderstorms are expected in the Central Coast region this weekend, with experts warning against outdoor activities and advising residents to take extra precautions while traveling. 

A wind advisory for Monterey County remains in effect from 7am to 6pm Saturday, Dec. 10. Many areas of Monterey County—including the Salinas Valley, Carmel Valley and low lying areas of Big Sur—are expected to get winds at 15 to 25 mph, while higher elevations could see winds 20 to 30 mph, with gusts of even higher wind speeds. 

“We’re going to see wind gusts up to 45 miles per hour,” says Roger Gass, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s Bay Area region, headquartered in Monterey. “The weather will likely last throughout the weekend.” 

The coastline is going to see the heaviest wind and rain, with significant precipitation in some areas. Snow is predicted at high elevations, starting at 2500 feet. About five to seven inches of rain are expected to come down in the Santa Lucias, a little more than an inch in urban areas around Monterey, and less than an inch elsewhere. 

Experts are advising against traveling along the coast until the weather clears. 

“Highway 1 is going to be treacherous, we’re advising everyone not to go down that way,” Gass says. 

Debris can be picked up in higher winds, and there could be damage to trees and taller structures this weekend. Downed trees might lead to power outages. 

Private utility PG&E is already preparing for the possible damage to structures this weekend, and advised customers to be ready for power outages in their area. 

“We have a plan to respond to outages and have activated our company-wide Emergency Operations Center to more efficiently allocate crews, materials and other resources to restoration efforts across our service area,” officials announced in a statement. 

These storms are headed south and should clear up by Monday morning, Dec. 12. Though Saturday will likely be the worst of the storms, it's likely to start raining Friday night and continue through Sunday afternoon.