Cool Coast, Hot Inland. Bay Area Heat This Weekend Will Depend on Where You Live
California is gearing up to bake in a heat wave, but forecasters expect the Bay Area to largely escape the soaring temperatures, with parts of the North Bay, East Bay and South Bay possibly touching triple digits this weekend.
A major ridge of high pressure to the east is building towards the coast and will “be centered mainly in Southern California and Arizona,” according to Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, who presented during a Wednesday YouTube office hours.
By Friday, San Francisco, Oakland and San José could peak in the high 70s and 80s. Inland areas — Santa Rosa, Cloverdale, Concord, Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Livermore — could reach into the upper 90s and may even teeter into triple-digit territory.
National Weather Service meteorologist Dial Hoang said San Francisco and Oakland could reach about 5 degrees above average, and inland areas up to 10 degrees above average.
As of now, this bout of warm temperatures across the region isn’t a heat wave, according to the NWS Bay Area office. Coastal areas will stick close to 60 degrees, thanks to “Karl,” the lingering marine layer, which Hoang said is “holding strong.” But this determination could change as temperatures spike again next week.
Hoang said beachgoers should also take caution along the coast because of the increased risk of sneaker waves and rip currents throughout the weekend.
“We encourage them to stay away from the water’s edge, stay off of piers and rocks along the shoreline,” Hoang said. “Never turn your back to the water.”
Temperatures are expected to dip early next week before the ridge likely rebuilds by Tuesday, which will prompt them to bump back up again, meteorologists said in their daily forecast discussion. They note: “Another round of even hotter temps will be possible around Aug. 5 through Aug. 8.”
Swain said the second wave of heat may be centered further north and “affect northern California more severely than the first one,” but added that there is “some uncertainty” in how extreme it might be.
“It could be pretty intense,” Swain said.
Swain said to expect a significant uptick in fire activity or danger across the state, especially Southern California, during the bout of heat, but the risk is lower in the coastal Bay Area.
This week, NWS expects elevated fire weather threats across the North and East Bay as well as the Diablo and Santa Lucia ranges.