The San Francisco Bay Area is in for some cold weather after enjoying unseasonably warm weather over the weekend.
A cold front passing over the Bay Area could bring slight rain chances Monday, but no more than 0.1 inch locally. After the front passes, temperatures are expected to cool Tuesday morning, with lows in the upper 30s to 40s, according to Dylan Flynn, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
“It will be a lot colder than it was in the morning, about ten degrees colder,” Flynn said.
With afternoon highs expected to be in the upper 50s to low 60s, temperatures won't be much below normal – although the morning will be frosty.
The Weather Service issued a freeze warning for the North Bay valleys and mountains Tuesday morning.
Heavy rain will likely return late Thursday into Sunday, with total accumulations of about 1 to 2 inches expected. The storm system is also carrying strong winds, which has resulted in high surf warnings being issued.
“Unlike the rain we had earlier this month, which was southerly winds and river-type rain, this is a cold front coming from Alaska, so the air will be much cooler,” Flynn said.
“It's not as heavy rain as we've seen with some other storms, but it's going to be rainy, cold, cold and blustery all at the same time.”
Flynn said waves could reach 15 to 18 feet along the San Francisco coast this weekend. At high altitudes, rain may turn to snow.
“We expect to see some snow accumulation on some of the higher mountains and bridges,” with snow falling as low as 2,500 feet, Flynn said.
The forecast rainfall totals will help bring a favorable end to the rainy season locally and regionally. According to preliminary totals, San Francisco's observed precipitation is 115% for the water year beginning Oct. 1, 2023, while the National Weather Service's downtown San Francisco is 196% of normal for February.
