The Bay Area is experiencing a respite from the recent offshore winds. Offshore breezes have subdued across the region, with gusty conditions limited to the higher elevations of the interior North Bay. Mount St. Helena, for instance, saw gusts reaching 60 mph earlier. However, general weather for Thursday and Friday is anticipated to be mild, with clear skies and temperatures ranging from the 60s to the low 70s, according to the National Weather Service San Francisco, CA.
The NWSBayArea social media post concurred, noting, "Dry conditions continue with pulses of offshore flow into the early part of next week." Temperatures are expected to be warmer than typical for this time of year. Despite the lack of moisture, recent rainfall is believed to help keep fire weather concerns at bay. The weekend and early next week's forecast includes returning offshore winds, though not currently predicted to reach Wind Advisory criteria.
Looking ahead to this coming weekend, surface high pressure is set to build over the Pacific Northwest and Great Basin, triggering a renewed offshore pattern. This shift will likely extend into the first half of next week, with more widespread impacts expected in the North Bay and Bay Area. NWS San Francisco indicates that "the offshore pressure gradient lingers through the first half of next week," and an upper low moving into the Desert Southwest adds a layer of uncertainty to the wind patterns.
The weekend forecast from NWS San Francisco also warns of chilly nighttime temperatures, dipping into the mid to upper 30s in the North Bay valleys and parts of the Central Coast, beginning Sunday morning into the midweek. For aviation, mostly clear conditions are projected with signs of potential LIFR fog at KSTS early Thursday and possibly Friday mornings. Regarding nautical conditions, the high pressure over the Great Basin will entail typically light offshore winds through late Thursday night, with high pressure reasserting itself and offshore winds returning over the weekend and next week.
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