The National Weather Service in San Francisco warns of light rain and gusty winds as a cold front moves across the region today, with the wet weather expected to reach the North Bay this morning. According to their latest forecast, the rain will be mostly light and may even reach as far south as San Jose throughout the early afternoon. Nevertheless, folks should prepare for increased gusts along the coast and mountainous areas, with up to 30 mph gusts predicted through Thursday night, as per the National Weather Service.
While raindrops kiss the soil, swiftly moving aside will be the clouds post-cold front's passage, yielding to clear skies and a tame but firm breeze from the northwest. The NWS anticipates that after the front has done its work, a dry and warm spell will descend upon us, hanging around through at least mid-next week. Don't let the winter calendar fool you - the Bay Area is bracing for unseasonably toasty temps, with coastal areas looking at the mid-60s and inland spots potentially hitting the mid-70s mark.
Climatological intrigue doesn't end with sunshine and warm breezes. A low-amplitude 500 mb ridge is building come Thursday, which nudges a subtropical air mass our way, raising the region's vibes and atmospheric moisture. "This will usher in higher PWAT values," said the National Weather Service in their synopsis, assuring that while we're not looking at rain per se, "you'll notice this by the clear skies Thursday afternoon."
For the aviation sector, today offers predominantly VFR conditions early, but airports might face light rain and a mix of low- to mid-level clouds through this morning. NWS San Francisco advises in their aviation report that skies will clear tonight, although patchy fog could present visibility challenges late tonight into Thursday morning. Travel might be smoothly orchestrated in the skies, but mariners will ride a different wave over the next few days with windy and rough seas, particularly over outer coastal waters, until early Friday.
