Climate & Environment

Bay Area Forecasts Warm, Sunny Weekend Amid Coastal Flood Advisory

By Rick Hurd

The National Weather Service forecasts warm, not hot, temperatures for the Bay Area this weekend, with highs in the low 70s and overnight lows around 48. Winds are expected to be breezy and light, and the sky will be blue with patchy clouds. No rain or snow is predicted, and fire danger will be low. "Exactly," said NWS meteorologist Joe Merchant.

However, the beaches and coastlines remain unsafe. Warmer Pacific Ocean temperatures from El Nino have expanded the water, contributing to last weekend’s coastal flooding. A small low‑pressure system off the shoreline is now pushing the water up, raising tides by up to 1½ feet beyond their normal reach. Merchant explained that the tidal pull is the same for a new moon as for a full moon, but the added low pressure is causing the higher-than‑usual tides.

Hazardous sneaker waves and rip tides are expected to continue through Monday. Authorities have urged residents to stay out of the water and away from waterside infrastructure.

The pleasant conditions are likely to persist into early next week, but Merchant noted that a series of storms moving across the upper Pacific Northwest will bring rain later in the week. The system may break off and affect parts of the region next week, with some areas receiving as little as a tenth of an inch of rain and others, such as San Jose and Santa Cruz, possibly receiving none at all.