Technical NOAA Weather Discussion

FXUS66 KMTR 310830
AFDMTR

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Francisco CA
130 AM PDT Tue Mar 31 2026

...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 129 AM PDT Tue Mar 31 2026

 - Cooler conditions with light rain through Thursday.

 - Above normal temperatures and offshore flow return Friday and 
   continue into the weekend.

&&

.SHORT TERM...
Issued at 129 AM PDT Tue Mar 31 2026
(Today and tonight)

An upper level disturbance brings light rain, cloudy skies, and 
cooler temperatures. In terms of chances for rain we flirt at about 
10-20% chance this morning before sunrise to 30-50% by mid to late 
morning. Though a 60-80% chance will be possible for the coastal 
mountains of the Central COast. Even with those higher amounts, 
rainfall amounts today look to be around a 0.10" or less across the 
region. Tonight, conditions dry out with the next round of rain 
moving in by mid Wednesday. 

&&

.LONG TERM...
Issued at 129 AM PDT Tue Mar 31 2026
(Wednesday through Monday)

The next chance for rain arrives mid Wednesday and wraps up by 
Thursday morning. With this system rainfall amounts have trended 
notably higher, particularly over the North Bay. Amounts for the 
mountains now range between 0.25-0.60" while the valley is 0.05-
0.25". From the San Francisco Peninsula down to Santa Cruz the 
amounts range from 0.10-0.35", while the East and South Bay amounts 
are closer to 0.05-0.15". For interior Monterey and San Benito 
counties amounts are generally around 0-.10", while the Santa Lucia 
may see up to 0.20". 

By mid Thursday, upper level ridging builds over the Eastern 
Pacific, while the upper level trough that tracked over the PacNW 
moves into Intermountain West and deepens. This will lead to some to 
conditions drying out on Thursday and a period of offshore flow on 
Friday. The strongest winds, where gusts of up to 30-45 mph for 
favored gaps, ridges, and mountains, will be observed across 
interior North Bay Mountains and East and South Bay mountains. 
Temperatures will also begin to warm on Friday, with the warming and 
drying trend continuing into the weekend.  


&&

.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 952 PM PDT Mon Mar 30 2026

VFR is expected to prevail through the forecast period. However, a
southern surge of stratus up the Big Sur coast line may impact the
Monterey Bay terminals overnight into early Tuesday morning.
Slight chance of stratus in vicinity of the Bay Area terminals
closer to sunrise Tuesday morning, with confidence too low for
mentioning in the TAF.

Vicinity of SFO...VFR is expected to prevail through the TAF
period with a slight chance of low stratus developing near
sunrise. Mostly light and variable winds overnight will become
breezy out of the southwest Tuesday afternoon.

SFO Bridge Approach...Similar as SFO.

Monterey Bay Terminals...VFR is expected to prevail at KSNS
through the TAF period, however KMRY may hover between IFR/VFR
with cigs from a southern surges that moved up the Big Sur
coastline today. Once clouds clear Tuesday morning, expect VFR the
remainder of the day.

&&

.MARINE...
(Tonight through next Sunday)
Issued at 952 PM PDT Mon Mar 30 2026

Moderate seas through Wednesday will build and become very rough
Thursday and Friday. Fresh southwesterly breezes will develop
overnight and persist Tuesday and Wednesday out ahead of a cold
front. Behind the cold front, winds will become strong out of the
north creating hazardous condition Thursday and Friday.

&&

.MTR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...None.
PZ...None.
&&

$$

SHORT TERM...KR
LONG TERM....KR
AVIATION...JM
MARINE...JM

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Prepared by Boulder-Creek.com Weather at: Tue Mar 31 04:30:03 PDT 2026
From the National Weather Service