Technical NOAA Weather Discussion

FXUS66 KMTR 230554
AFDMTR

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Francisco CA
954 PM PST Sat Feb 22 2025

...New AVIATION, MARINE...

.SYNOPSIS...
Issued at 1111 AM PST Sat Feb 22 2025

Chance of very light rain in the North Bay tonight into Sunday and 
again on Monday. Otherwise, dry and warm through the middle of next 
week. Chance of rain returns later next week with a cutoff low 
approaching the state, although details are still highly
uncertain.

&&

.UPDATE...
Issued at 830 PM PST Sat Feb 22 2025

Pretty mild Saturday around the Bay Area and Central Coast thanks
to mostly sunny skies (except far N Bay), warming airmass, subtle
ridging aloft. Highs topped out in the 60s to upper 70s. The
warmest locations were away from the coast/bays, especially
interior Central Coast with a few spots flirting with 80 degrees.
Today's highs were 5 to 10 degrees above normal for late February.
If you like warmer weather you'll like the upcoming seven day
forecast.  See below for more details.

Despite the warmer weather and sunny skies, the radar was put 
into precip mode earlier in the afternoon due to showers over the 
coastal waters and northern N Bay. Since this afternoon, showers 
picked up in coverage over the coastal waters. As a result, an 
evening update was done earlier to include showers as far south as
the South Bay and eastward to the East Bay. Not expecting much in
the way of accumulation, but enough to see a few drops reach the 
ground. A weather spotter from Pleasant Hill reported light rain 
and a few mPING reports in SF also mentioned rain. These light 
rain showers will persist through the evening and into early 
Sunday. Greatest likelihood still remains Golden Gate northward.

MM

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(This afternoon through Sunday)
Issued at 1111 AM PST Sat Feb 22 2025

Satellite imagery reveals coastal stratus lingering in the North Bay 
and San Mateo Peninsula coastlines, while scattered cirrus persists 
over much of the region. If there is anything vaguely exciting about 
the short-term forecast for our region, it's found up in the 
northern fringes of Sonoma and Napa Counties. A plume of moisture is 
impacting the Pacific Northwest, with the Eureka radar also showing 
rain just offshore of the North Coast. The edges of the moisture 
plume could bring light rain to the northern regions of Sonoma and 
Napa counties beginning tonight into Sunday. Emphasis on light rain, 
with the rainfall totals only around a few hundredths of an inch at 
most. 

Elsewhere in the region, the big story is dry and warm weather 
through the weekend. Highs today range from the low to mid 70s today 
in the inland valleys to the middle to upper 60s closer to the coast. 
The low temperatures are also inching upwards for Sunday morning, 
ranging from the middle 40s to the lower 50s in the lower 
elevations, while Sunday's highs reach the upper 70s across the 
southern Salinas Valley, generally remaining similar to today's 
elsewhere.

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Sunday night through next Friday)
Issued at 1111 AM PST Sat Feb 22 2025

Another round of light rain comes into the North Bay on Monday, with 
an upper level low off the Pacific Northwest becoming more defined 
in the model output since yesterday. The main impacts to the 
forecast are a slight increase in rain totals in the North Bay, to 
around a tenth of an inch in favored locations in the Sonoma coastal 
ranges, and a dip in temperatures across the region. Monday's highs 
reach the lower 60s in the North bay valleys, the upper 60s the 
middle 70s in the inland valleys elsewhere, and the lower to middle 
60s along the coast. As the disturbance passes, upper level ridging 
returns to the region and resumes our warming trend, with high 
temperatures in the inland valleys reaching the middle to upper 70s 
by Wednesday.

By the middle of the week, a trough moving through the northern 
Pacific deepens and cuts off as it approaches the state. At this 
point, significant differences between models, and among the 
ensemble solutions from the models, make the forecast highly 
uncertain. Looking at the ensemble means, the American GEFS model 
places a weaker low through the Central Coast by Thursday, the 
Canadian GEPS model places an even weaker low around the same place 
and timeframe, while the European ECMWF model further deepens the 
low, places it closer to southern California, and delays its impact 
to Friday. The ensemble model cluster analysis further supports 
these claims with the European ensemble members tending to support a 
fully cut off low off the coast of California on Thursday, while the 
American ensemble members supporting a broader trough or weaker 
cutoff low that gets closer to the coast, and the Canadian ensemble 
members tending to support solutions that more resemble a shortwave 
trough. At this point, there is a chance for rain late Wednesday 
through early Friday, but anything more specific than that would be 
beyond the current state of the forecast certainty. Expect further 
refinements to the forecast through the next few days. 

&&

.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 954 PM PST Sat Feb 22 2025

Light, scattered showers continue to move through the North Bay with 
chances diminishing farther south overnight. Low ceilings will 
return across the Bay Area (for areas north of SJC and LVK) 
overnight with ensemble guidance indicating at least some potential 
for LIFR conditions to develop. HAF is already reporting LIFR CIGs 
which adds some credence to LIFR conditions developing directly 
along the coast. Leaning towards MVFR-IFR border overnight for most 
inland sites but will need to keep an eye on CIGs as they start to 
develop. Fog continues to look likely across the North Bay valleys 
overnight with at least temporary LIFR impacts at STS. Winds will be 
fairly light and at times variable overnight before moderate NW flow 
returns tomorrow during the day.

Vicinity of SFO...VFR with MVFR conditions likely overnight. Highest 
confidence in MVFR-IFR CIGs from 13Z to 18Z with some guidance 
showing lowered ceilings persisting until 20Z. Confidence is low to 
moderate but cloud ceilings have started to lower across the region 
in the last few hours. Winds stay light overnight before moderate NW 
flow begins during the day tomorrow.

SFO Bridge Approach...Similar to SFO.

Monterey Bay Terminals...VFR through the TAF period with some 
potential for lower CIGs to develop overnight. Currently high level 
clouds are approaching the Central Coast with low to moderate 
confidence that MVFR to IFR-LIFR CIGs develop overnight. Night Fog 
shows lower clouds developing offshore but ensemble guidance is 
mixed on if it will reach MRY and SNS. Confidence continues to be 
slightly higher for SNS than MRY, with LIFR CIGs possible from 09Z 
to 16Z. Winds will be light overnight before moderate NW winds 
develop during the day.

&&

.MARINE...
(Tonight through next Friday)
Issued at 954 PM PST Sat Feb 22 2025

Scattered light rain continues over the coastal waters through
early  Sunday morning. Winds and seas remain relatively calm
through the  weekend. There will be another chance for light rain
on Monday as  low pressure system moves into the Pacific
Northwest. Moderate  northwesterly swell returns to the coastal
waters by Tuesday  bringing waves between 10 to 14 feet at a
period of 14 seconds. This  will lead to rough seas and see a
return of hazardous conditions for  small crafts.

&&

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

$$

SHORT TERM...DialH
LONG TERM....DialH
AVIATION...Kennedy
MARINE...Kennedy

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Prepared by Boulder-Creek.com Weather at: Sat Feb 22 22:30:02 PST 2025
From the National Weather Service