Bay Area/ San Francisco
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Published on January 24, 2025
Bay Area Faces Wind Advisory and Cold Snap: Frost, Gusts, and Light Rain Expected Through WeekendSource: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Bay Area is bracing for a mix of cold weather and gusty conditions through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) San Francisco. A Wind Advisory is in place for the Interior North Bay Mountains from Friday night until Sunday morning due to expected gusts reaching 40-50 mph, while a Frost Advisory has also been issued for the Southern Salinas Valley in Monterey County until Friday morning, with temperatures forecasted to drop into the low to mid-30s, posing risks for vulnerable populations and frostbite-prone vegetation.

As reported by the NWS San Francisco's Area Forecast Discussion, "A positively tilted trough will develop from a trough in the Canadian Prairies, eroding the ridge," bringing a change in weather that includes coastal drizzle possible tonight, with the arrival of a cold air mass and the threat of light rain over the Central Coast. The downward trend begins today, continuing a strand of chilly temperatures into the early part of next week that will see highs inland in the middle to upper 60s and temperatures along the coast ranging from the upper 50s to lower 60s.

Over the weekend, light rain is anticipated to appear on Saturday morning, with modest rainfall totals expected, particularly in the Monterey Bay, Gilroy-Hollister area, and the northern Salinas Valley. Meanwhile, high peaks in the Central Coast and eastern Santa Clara Hills may get a dusting of snow on Sunday morning, with the higher elevations possibly accumulating 2-3 inches. Coastal areas and higher elevations might only see a few hundredths of an inch of rain, and strong offshore winds in the North Bay could prevent rainfall in that area.

Mariners note, "Northerly flow will increase over the coastal waters Friday as a cold front moves through," the National Weather Service alerts forecast strong winds up to 50 knots and rough seas from Friday afternoon through Sunday. Conditions should improve somewhat by Monday with the NWS foreseeing weakened winds and wave heights beginning to subside, dry weather is slated to make a comeback by next week's midsection, though a ridge might break down later in the week, paving the way for potential rainfall.