San Francisco residents are bracing themselves for a rollercoaster week in weather, according to reports from the National Weather Service (NWS). The Bay Area is heating up with temperatures potentially smashing records Sunday and Monday before an "impactful storm system" is expected to hit midweek, bringing in widespread moderate-to-heavy rainfall. National Weather Service Forecast Office San Francisco, CA has predicted seasonal warmth that might just make history, with certain climate sites set to challenge daily high-temperature milestones. The NWS specifically highlighted that "near record warm today and tomorrow with temps well above average."
Already, the temperatures have climbed, challenging records set decades earlier, with Santa Rosa potentially hitting 72 degrees, a high last reached in 1984, and San Francisco Downtown possibly matching or exceeding the 72-degree mark from the same year. The region is experiencing unseasonable warmth, and as per the NWS Area Forecast Discussion, portions of the Salinas Valley could even flirt with 80 degrees—a 10% chance—but a phenomenon not entirely out of grasp.
Though the warmth is drawing attention, the conversation swiftly shifts to concerns about Wednesday’s predicted deluge. The forecast from the NWS promises a substantial change with a "high confidence forecast that we will see periods of moderate-to-heavy rainfall with this frontal passage on Wednesday". In the prelude to Wednesday's downpour, cloudy skies may provide the only hint of the storm brewing on the horizon, yet doing little to temper the balmy conditions.
Additionally, the NWS notes that strong winds are expected to accompany the rain, which poses the risk of downed trees and power lines, especially along exposed coastal locations and ridgetops. Winds might gust over 40 mph in these areas, packed with enough fury to hurl debris around, making for treacherous conditions. In a turn for urgency, the forecasters upped the odds for floods, especially for North Bay rivers, where the chance of breaching minor flood stage now sits at a worrying 10-30%. Streams and urban flooding are anticipated as soils nearing saturation primed for runoff, and by the lingering moisture throughout the week, the NWS Area Forecast Discussion indicates.
With this potential storm on the horizon, local agencies are likely gearing up for quick responses to the impacts forecasted, which could include, according to the NWS, "numerous shallow landslides along steep slopes". The Bay Area’s bout with unseasonable warmth is just the calm before a storm poised to punctuate the week with a significant impact.
