This morning, the Bay Area experienced yet another barrage of wet weather, as showers and isolated thunderstorms continued to make their presence felt. According to the National Weather Service San Francisco, the root cause of this tumultuous weather is a "cut-off low," an upper-level low pressure system that remained relatively stationary off the coast of Monterey Bay. This system brought with it not just thunder and lightning, but also heavy rains, at times, across different parts of the Bay Area.
Despite the early morning chaos, the weather disturbance relieved the frequently parched region, delivering rains that ranged from a trace to approximately 0.75 inches in the Santa Cruz Mountains. These welcome showers came with the added benefit of lessening fire weather concerns, which, in the absence of precipitation, might have been exacerbated by the more than 3,000 lightning strikes recorded in the past 12 hours, as mentioned by the National Weather Service.
The soaked earth and cloud-draped skies have also affected travel conditions. The NWS Bay Area reported via a social media post that a cluster of storms moved from near Salinas towards the northwest, wrapping into the Santa Clara Valley and the Santa Cruz Mountains, persisting even at 4:22 AM. Commuters, especially those referred to as 'super commuters' for their long-distance travels, may face additional delays due to the weather.
[Radar Update] 4:22 AM - These storms just won't quit. A cluster of showers and thunderstorms continue to stream from near Salinas toward the NW wrapping into the Santa Clara Valley and Santa Cruz Mts. #cawx pic.twitter.com/mW6DHLVCrt
— NWS Bay Area 🌉 (@NWSBayArea) September 25, 2025
Conditions are expected to improve over the course of Thursday, and clearer skies are forecast to follow the eastward shift of the troublesome upper low. Moreover, the National Weather Service projects an uptick in temperatures come Friday, with "interior highs around 5-10 degrees above normal." However, this brief spell of warmth could be the calm before another storm, as forecast models suggest a return of wet weather as soon as Sunday night or Monday morning, possibly heralding more thunderstorms.
Maritime operations in the region have not been spared, with gusty north-northwesterly winds anticipated to kick up today through Friday over the northern and outer waters, leading to an advisory for rougher seas. Calmer conditions are forecast for the weekend, with a shift to southerly winds on Sunday preceding what seems to be a more significant weather system approaching early next week, bringing rain and reinforcing the onset of a wetter season.
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