San Francisco firefighters prepare to remove a large tree branch that fell onto a parked car due to high winds on Jan. 10, 2023 in San Francisco. Fallen tree limbs are a possible hazard as increasingly gusty winds impact the region this week.
Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesIt’s the moment most of the Bay Area has been waiting for after an onslaught of back-to-back storm systems and a rainy winter season.
Aside from a few sprinkles produced by a weak cold front moving across the region Sunday, the Bay Area is expected to stay dry for the rest of the week, with a gradual warming trend and below-average rainfall anticipated through mid-April.
“It definitely has calmed down, that’s for sure,” said Roger Gass, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.
But hang onto your hats – the next couple of days are going to be breezy. Gass said another weather system will push through the Bay Area Sunday afternoon and into the evening that will cause northerly and westerly winds to pick up, reaching gusts of 30 to 35 mph. Those speeds will continue to rise on Monday, climbing up to 45 to 55 mph along the coastline and in the coastal hills.
“In San Francisco especially, Ocean Beach will see much stronger impacts than the rest of the city,” Gass said. “Overall, this is a typical windy event following the cold front.”
A wind advisory will go into effect on Monday morning at 5 a.m. until 11 p.m. for coastal areas from Sonoma to Monterey counties, including the Santa Lucia Range.
Gass said damage from downed tree limbs and isolated power outages are “a concerning possibility,” particularly due to saturated soils around the region, but he does not expect widespread, significant impacts like those observed in previous storms. The weather service advises people to secure loose objects outdoors and bring trash cans or lawn furniture that may be blown around inside. High-profile vehicles such as trucks and RVs may also experience difficulty traveling.
Temperatures will stay on the cooler side through Wednesday with daytime highs only getting into the mid-50s and overnight lows falling to the lower 40s throughout the Bay Area. By Thursday, temperatures will reach as high as 60 degrees and remain in the lower 60s on Friday before climbing toward the upper 60s this weekend. Some interior valleys could approach 80 degrees, Gass said.
“For the city itself, it’s definitely going to be noticeable,” he said. “It’s definitely a warm-up from where we’ve been the last few weeks.”