Technical NOAA Weather Discussion

FXUS66 KMTR 161142
AFDMTR

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Francisco CA
342 AM PST Mon Feb 16 2026

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

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 206 AM PST Mon Feb 16 2026

 - Rain continues today and continues this week as additional 
   storm systems arrive

 - Strong winds through mid-week; Wind Advisory for the Central
   Coast today

 - A Coastal Flood Advisory is in effect through Tuesday for minor 
   high tide flooding

 - Winter Weather Advisory today through Wednesday Central Coast 
   Mts with accumulating snow

 - Much colder with mountain snow mid to late week

&&

.SHORT TERM...
Issued at 342 AM PST Mon Feb 16 2026
(Today and tonight)

A long wave trough remains located over the west coast (north 
hemispheric pattern remains in winter mode, active with ~ 7 long 
wave troughs). Within the west coast long wave trough there is a 
weakening, vertically stacked surface to 500 mb low pressure 
center (occluded low pressure) offshore ~ 350 miles west of Santa 
Cruz. However, there is a secondary low pressure center continuing
to develop this morning, it's currently 250 miles south of Santa 
Cruz and moving mainly northward. The second low will continue to 
bring rain and wind to our area today. A strengthening convergence
of differing air masses will cause a strengthening of the front 
(frontogenesis) at 850 mb and 700 mb today, strengthening surface 
low pressure included in this process all will steepen the 
pressure gradients and winds. 200 mb jet stream winds are already 
at the base and forward of the larger scale trough, thus the 
development window of the second low will be short i.e. through 
late morning to early afternoon and mainly focused over the Central
Coast before the low takes a more eastward motion. Precipitable
water with the low peaks today between 0.75" and 0.80" which is 
near the 90th percentile for the time of year. Ouput from numerical
weather prediction has varied as to how strong winds may get within
this narrow window of time today; it's a good idea to be on the 
lookout for suddenly gusty winds today, including a wind shift to 
westerly and gusty later on today. A wind advisory remains in 
effect over the north Central Coast from 8 am to 8 pm today.

Moderate to heavy rain has prompted the issuance of a few flood 
advisories so far. With ongoing downpours, remember to turn around,
don't drown when encountering flooded roads. There is also a slight
chance of convection today. We'll continue to monitor KMUX radar 
through today. Showers continue tonight (and Tuesday) with cold 
air advection moving in on northwest winds.

&&

.LONG TERM...
Issued at 342 AM PST Mon Feb 16 2026
(Tuesday through Sunday)

Deep long wave troughing means additional wet weather including 
lowering snow levels, maybe temporary breaks but otherwise we're
catching up on recently dry weather. The over water trajectory of
cold air this week will modify 925 mb and 850 mb temperatures along
the way, but per recent NAM output for example we may still get 850
mb temperature lowering near -4 Celsius, near the minimum moving 
average for the time of year. Plenty of mixing, upward transport 
of sea surface heat and water vapor, instability, low pressure 
development will otherwise cause wet weather to continue, along 
with lots of snow in the high country.

&&

.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 917 PM PST Sun Feb 15 2026

Generally MVFR to low end VFR with mid- to high level clouds across 
the region as the main rain band crosses the Bay Area and Central 
Coast. Southerly winds will abate in the wake of the main rain band 
with scattered showers possible overnight. Early Monday morning and 
beyond, high resolution models are showing possible cyclogenesis 
near the coast and heading across the Bay Area and Central Coast, 
making the forecast rather uncertain, especially for wind speed and 
direction, through Monday afternoon. The general trend is for the 
winds to shift towards the northwest through the day on Monday, 
remaining strong and breezy with widespread gusts of 20-30 kt while 
widespread rain continues in addition to a small, but nonzero, 
chance for thunderstorms. Rain chances should diminish on Monday 
evening ahead of another storm system expected to arrive after the 
end of the 24-hour TAF period.

Vicinity of SFO... Generally MVFR-low end VFR conditions at the 
terminal. Gentle southeast winds will continue overnight, with low 
to moderate confidence in winds turning northeast on Monday morning. 
A developing small-scale low makes the forecast for Monday 
uncertain, but in general expect a shift to a strong and breezy 
northwest wind through Monday with rain showers continuing through 
Monday afternoon. Some high resolution model data has the next 
system arriving at the terminal area close to the end of the TAF 
period, but confidence is too low to include this in the current 
forecast.

SFO Bridge Approach... Similar to SFO.

Monterey Bay Terminals... MVFR to low end VFR across the region and 
through the TAF period. Breezy south winds, especially at SNS, 
continue through the next couple of hours as the main rain band 
passes through with IFR conditions possible in the strongest 
showers. Potential cyclogenesis near Monterey Bay early Monday 
morning makes the TAF forecast uncertain beyond around 15Z, with a 
general shift to a more westerly wind with strong wind gusts at the 
terminals before winds and rain chances decrease in the evening.

&&

.MARINE...
(Today through early Saturday)
Issued at 255 AM PST Mon Feb 16 2026

Scattered to widespread rain will continue across the waters today
before becoming isolated to scattered late in the day. Strong 
southerly winds continue along the inner coastal waters south of 
Monterey Bay, while winds elsewhere increase throughout the day.  
Strong to near gale force winds are expected through midweek, with
gale force gusts expected at times. Rough to very rough seas will
prevail through the week. Thunderstorm chances increase behind 
the initial front and linger through Tuesday.

&&

.BEACHES...
Issued at 556 PM PST Sat Feb 14 2026

The combination of spring tides and storm surge will bring minor
high tide flooding to the San Francisco Bay and Monterey Bay
through Tuesday. Up to 1.0 ft of inundation is expected in the 
San Francisco Bay, with up to 1.5 ft in the Monterey Bay. At the 
San Francisco tidal gauge, high tide is expected to at 9:34 AM 
Sunday, 10:16 AM Monday, and 10:58 AM Tuesday. High tide timing 
varies up to 90 minutes earlier or later along the Pacific Coast 
and throughout the San Francisco Bay, respectively.

&&

.MTR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...Coastal Flood Advisory until 3 PM PST Tuesday for CAZ006-506-508-
     529-530.

     Wind Advisory from 8 AM this morning to 8 PM PST this evening 
     for CAZ516>518-528-530.

     Winter Weather Advisory from 4 PM this afternoon to 4 PM PST 
     Wednesday for CAZ517-518.

PZ...Small Craft Advisory from 3 PM this afternoon to 3 AM PST 
     Tuesday for Pigeon Pt to Pt Pinos 10-60 NM-Pt Arena to Pt 
     Reyes 0-10 nm-SF Bay N of Bay Bridge.

     Small Craft Advisory until 3 AM PST Tuesday for Mry Bay-Pigeon 
     Pt to Pt Pinos 0-10 nm.

     Small Craft Advisory from 9 AM this morning to 9 PM PST this 
     evening for Pt Reyes to Pigeon Pt 0-10 nm.

     Gale Warning from 9 PM this evening to 3 AM PST Tuesday for Pt 
     Reyes to Pigeon Pt 0-10 nm.

     Gale Warning until 9 PM PST this evening for Pt Pinos to Pt 
     Piedras Blancas 0-10 nm.

     Small Craft Advisory from 9 AM this morning to 3 PM PST this 
     afternoon for Pt Arena to Pt Reyes 10-60 NM.

     Gale Warning from 3 PM this afternoon to 3 AM PST Tuesday for Pt 
     Arena to Pt Reyes 10-60 NM.

&&

$$

SHORT TERM...Canepa
LONG TERM....Canepa
AVIATION...DialH
MARINE...DialH

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Prepared by Boulder-Creek.com Weather at: Mon Feb 16 04:30:03 PST 2026
From the National Weather Service