The National Weather Service in San Francisco has released an advisory for Bay Area beachgoers, cautioning against hazardous surf conditions today. The longer-period swell is creating an energetic surf zone and increasing the risk for sneaker waves. For those planning to hit the waves, the National Weather Service urges them to use caution while enjoying the coastline.
Dry conditions persist in higher terrain areas, bringing heightened grass fire danger. A forecast update from the NWS San Francisco calls attention to elevated fire weather conditions, particularly in the interior Central Coast. The update stated, "While not in our forecast area, a decent veg fire developed and spread quickly to over 1k acres in SLO. This could have easily happened in San Benito or Monterey counties." The marine layer helps to mitigate fire risks in lower elevations, but above roughly 2,000 feet, the combination of mild and dry conditions with onshore winds that can gust between 20-35 mph raises concerns.
For aviation, some areas continue to develop coastal stratus with visibility ranging from MVFR to LIFR, eventually giving way to general VFR conditions. Onshore winds are expected to be prevalent throughout the 12Z TAF cycle, intensifying into the afternoon and early evening today. Come nightfall and into Monday morning, redevelopment of the coastal stratus is anticipated.
Mariners face small craft advisories across multiple zones with northwest winds occasionally brushing towards gale force. "Surface high pressure will support a fresh to strong northwest breeze occasionally approaching gale force across the coastal waters with moderate seas through mid-week," according to the NWS San Francisco forecast. Starting this afternoon, the coastal and bayside waters will see these strong onshore winds leading up to gusty conditions by Monday afternoon and evening.
