Thursday’s chances for light rain have dropped a smidge. This comes after the moisture flowing from Hawaii to the West Coast has lost its momentum, changing the rain’s trajectory and timing. This means the bulk of today’s showers on the West Coast will likely only reach Washington and Oregon, leaving only traces of rain possible for Northern California.
- Live storm map : See where snow and rain are hitting California and Bay Area
But a break may just be what the doctor ordered. Tuesday’s historic storm left a trail of wind damage and flooding across the Golden State, along with unusual phenomena that included two-eyed landfalls in the Bay Area and Central Coast and tornado warnings in Southern California. This severe weather left the atmosphere over California with little energy, so Thursday’s showers will likely fizzle before they cross the Oregon-California border.
Still, some moisture might survive long enough to pull light rain to the Bay Area. The North American weather model depicts a chance for some showers to flow into the Marin Headlands and Santa Cruz Mountains by Friday afternoon, carried by northwest winds that will crank up after 3 p.m. and reel in moisture to most of the coastline.
Light showers may begin after 5 p.m. Thursday while drizzles and mist will be rampant along the coast, San Francisco Bay and most hillsides in the Bay Area. Chances for rain will range between 15% to 30%, with the lowest chances in the Bay Area’s inland valleys.
All in all, Friday will be a day with intermittent sunshine and a chance for spotty showers.
Thursday breakdown
San Francisco: A mix of clouds and sunshine is on tap today as moisture from a distant low-pressure system over the Pacific Ocean rolls in. Winds will blow from the northwest and raise 15- to 25-mph gusts. Winds will also gust to 20 mph east of Sutro Tower. Residents along Twin Peaks, Bernal Heights and Mount Davidson can expect brief drizzles this afternoon and evening.
Look for daytime highs in the lower 50s in the Sunset and Richmond districts and most bayside neighborhoods like the Embarcadero and Hunter’s Point. Daytime temperatures in downtown, SoMa and most of the Mission will climb to the mid-50s as sunshine peeks through this afternoon. Temperatures and winds will steadily fall tonight, with nighttime lows in the lower to mid-40s.
Pacific Coast and Peninsula: Coastal patches of fog will be possible this morning along Highway 1 between Pacifica and Half Moon Bay, along with mist through 11 a.m. Most fog will clear out, but low visibility will remain an issue there and along stretches of the San Bruno Gap this afternoon thanks to overcast skies with intermittent sunshine.
Some clouds will raise a chance for drizzles this afternoon and evening on the hillsides of the 280 corridor between Daly City and Foster City, while the rest of the Peninsula will stay drier and cool. Look for daytime highs in the mid-50s as a cool northwest breeze rolls up to the coast and spreads to all corners of the Peninsula. Nighttime lows will steadily fall to the 40s.
North Bay: Residents in the Santa Rosa, Petaluma and Napa valleys are in for a cold morning with temperatures in the upper 30s. There will be a slight risk for frost in some of the hillsides, along with patches of ice in remote roadways near Guerneville and Healdsburg. As for the inland valleys, look for a quick uptick in temperatures as sunshine filters through and raises daytime temperatures to the lower 60s.
Light northwest winds will trickle into most of Marin and Sonoma counties just after 1 p.m., cooling the coast and raising a slight chance for drizzles. Some of these winds will gust to 25 mph and spread mist in towns along San Pablo Bay and the delta, including Novato, San Rafael, Fairfield and Vacaville. This will help keep daytime highs in the mid-50s near the water.
After sunset, temperatures will drop to the 40s along San Pablo Bay while the inland valleys and highlands can expect colder temperatures in the upper 30s.
East Bay: Light northwest winds will usher in clouds and a chance for drizzles across parts of Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Look for a steady rise in daytime temperatures before some of the breezier winds gusting to 25 mph roll into the I-80 and I-880 corridors this afternoon. Daytime temperatures from Richmond to Hayward will hover in the mid-50s, while the Oakland and Berkeley hills should reach the upper 50s by 3 p.m.
Skies will gradually clear later, but mist and drizzles can’t be ruled out for the foothills of the San Ramon and Livermore valleys. Most residents east of the Caldecott Tunnel, including Walnut Creek, Dublin and Livermore, likely won’t notice this drizzle because it will be so light. Partly cloudy skies will spread out just before sunset and temperatures will generally fall to the 40s by the water and upper 30s in the inland valleys.
South Bay and Santa Cruz: Aside from stray drizzles near the Cupertino hills, Mount Hamilton and the Highway 17 pass near Los Gatos, the weather is slated to be quiet across most of the South Bay and Santa Cruz Mountains. Light northwest winds will raise a few brief 15- to 20-mph gusts in parts of western Santa Clara County, including west San Jose, Mountain View and Saratoga, but most of the region will see light winds.
These winds will also carry clouds toward the South Bay, keeping skies partly cloudy with occasional overcast conditions. A similar trend is on tap for Santa Cruz County. Look for daytime highs in the upper 50s in the Santa Clara Valley and the 101 corridor between Morgan Hill and Gilroy while the mountains and coast will generally stay cooler in the mid-50s. After sunset, temperatures will fall to the upper 30s in the valleys and the 40s closer to San Francisco and Monterey bays.
Reach Gerry Díaz: [email protected]; Twitter: @geravitywave
