Bay Area weather is again moving, with the latest reports indicating isolated showers continuing through Saturday across the Central Coast and North Bay. The National Weather Service in San Francisco cautions that while skies are set to clear on Sunday, today's weather will see spurts of precipitation, potentially disrupting weekend plans for those hoping for a sunny start to their days off. According to the NWS San Francisco, "isolated showers will continue today, mainly focused on the Central Coast and North Bay." The forecast also suggests a slight chance of thunderstorms in these areas.
With the 500 mb temperature plunging to lows that rank in the bottom 5% for this time of the year, instability is prevalent, meaning relatively warm air near the surface is eager to ascend. However, the timing is off. "The coldest air is moving in early this morning, well before the maximum surface heating this afternoon," explains the NWS San Francisco report. This throws a slight wrench in our expectations of thunderstorms. Despite overcast skies limiting surface temperature and thus instability, showers are still expected throughout the day.
Transitioning into Sunday, we're looking at light showers in the morning that will dissipate as the day progresses, ushering in warmer and drier conditions for the upcoming week. A positively tilted trough early in the work week will flip moist, cool onshore flow to a warm, dry offshore wind by Monday. NWS San Francisco projects, "Inland highs will be in the mid 70s with coastal areas reaching
the mid 60s."
VFR-MVFR conditions are forecasted today for those navigating the skies or sailing the marine expanses, with periodic wet weather continuing. "Localized IFR tonight and Sunday morning, otherwise MVFR," indicates the NWS San Francisco aviation report. High pressure is anticipated to bring drier weather as we move into next week, with offshore breezes set to freshen up the maritime trails.
Confirming the current conditions, a social media post from NWS Bay Area shared an update on Friday evening stating, "Light rain showers are moving north across the Monterey/Santa Cruz county line," corroborating with NWS San Francisco's analysis that stints of showers are in play for the region.
📡Friday 10:05 PM Radar Update: Light rain showers are moving north across the Monterey/Santa Cruz county line. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/fAs6CIDzid
— NWS Bay Area 🌉 (@NWSBayArea) April 26, 2025
