


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Issued by NWS San Francisco Bay Area, CA
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995 FXUS66 KMTR 111755 AFDMTR Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service San Francisco CA 1055 AM PDT Thu Sep 11 2025 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Issued at 1053 AM PDT Thu Sep 11 2025 - Unsettled weather continues into Thursday - Drier and slightly warmer weather Friday and Saturday. - Unsettled weather may return to the Bay Area on Sunday. && .UPDATE... Issued at 834 AM PDT Thu Sep 11 2025 Satellite imagery shows extensive stratus coverage across the Bay Area and Central Coast, expected to continue diminishing through the morning hours. Main focus for today remains the chances for showers in the North Bay through the afternoon and evening hours. Chances remain slight but still pretty significant (15-30% probability) across northern and central Sonoma and Napa Counties, but accumulations should remain below a tenth of an inch. Meanwhile, not expecting as much of a dip in temperatures on Sunday with the models showing more of a zonal upper level flow over central California, as opposed to a slightly more pronounced troughing pattern which was depicted in model runs at this time yesterday. No other changes to the forecast. DialH && .SHORT TERM... Issued at 239 AM PDT Thu Sep 11 2025 (Today and tonight) Quick recap - Afternoon/evening precip has diminished. There are a few lingering echoes about 60 miles west over the ocean and near Monterey Bay, but they`re fading fast. KMUX has been returned to surveillance/clear air mode. Decent September rainfall amounts recorded over the last 12-18 hours with a trace to nearly three quarters of an inch. One notable rainfall total is San Jose, with 0.41 inches, which sets a new daily record. Today and tonight: We`ve got one more day of precip chances around the Bay Area. The reason? A double-barrel upper low continues to spin over far NorCal, which is embedded in a positively tilted upper level trough. Model guidance has been rather persistent in keeping precip over the North Bay once again this afternoon. Wednesday there were concerns of excessive rainfall and thunderstorms, but that threat has shifted farther N and E with better dynamics today. So is there a low chance for thunderstorms again this afternoon? SPC brings the day one outlook just to the Napa county line. Further analysis of CAMS reveals some solid instability at the surface and just above the surface. However, lapse rates aloft are meager at best from 700-500mb. Additionally, point soundings show a weak cap/inversion around 650mb depending on your model of choice. Given the positive tilt of a weakening trough don`t think that will be enough to tip the scales toward thunder. Therefore, will keep precip mention to showers over the North Bay. There could some build ups over the Diablo and Gabilan ranges, but will not mention precip at this time. Otherwise, satellite fog product overnight shows a psuedo-marine layer or more like strato-cu layer blanketing the Bay Area and Central Coast. This layer will thin by late morning/early afternoon, but given the lift nearby some afternoon clouds will linger. Speaking of the satellite. One can still see a pronounced heat signature from the Garnet Fire in the Sierra. Any precip will diminish by tonight as the low/trough move eastward and weakens further. In its wake subsidence develops with a redeveloping marine layer around 2k feet. && .LONG TERM... Issued at 259 AM PDT Thu Sep 11 2025 (Friday through Wednesday) Warmer and drier conditions develop on Friday and into Saturday thanks to shortwave ridging that develops behind the departing upper low. Night and morning marine layer clouds will return, but compressed slightly. Temperatures return to the 70s and 80s with interior Central Coast reaching the 90s. A little bit of a roller coast temp-wise as temps dip slightly on Sunday thanks to a passing front to the north. A few showers over the northern coastal waters, but by the time they reach the North Bay they fall apart. Early next week longwave pattern continues to favor ridging over the west with a low/trough Northern Rockies. A few of the ensembles even show some weak offshore flow around Sept 16. && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1053 AM PDT Thu Sep 11 2025 MVFR/VFR conditions across the region this morning expecting to lift to VFR by this afternoon. Onshore winds will increase this afternoon before diminishing after sunset and more so into Friday morning. There is moderate to high confidence for MVFR ceilings to return this evening, potentially lowering to IFR early Friday morning across the Monterey Bay terminals. Ceilings are forecast to lift by Friday afternoon to VFR with increasing onshore winds. Vicinity of SFO...MVFR currently expected to return to VFR by early afternoon with increasing onshore winds. Moderate to high confidence for MVFR ceilings to return late this evening and persist through the night. There is low confidence for sub-MVFR ceilings early Friday morning before ceilings lift to VFR by Friday afternoon. Onshore winds increase Friday afternoon. SFO Bridge Approach...Similar to SFO. Monterey Bay Terminals...High confidence for VFR conditions to return to the region by this afternoon and persist through late afternoon or early evening. Then, high confidence for MVFR ceilings to return and potentially lower to IFR early Friday morning. Moderate confidence in timing of transition from MVFR to IFR overnight tonight into Friday morning. && .MARINE... (Today through Tuesday) Issued at 834 AM PDT Thu Sep 11 2025 Northwest winds increase beginning Thursday, becoming moderate to fresh across the majority of the coastal waters. Localized strong gusts are possible across the northern outer waters. Moderate to rough seas develop Friday and persist into next week. Conditions temporarily improve Saturday, as winds decrease and seas ease, before another round of fresh to strong NW winds returns Sunday into next week with the strongest winds located across the far northern outer waters. && .MTR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CA...None. PZ...Small Craft Advisory from 3 PM to 9 PM PDT Friday for Mry Bay- Pigeon Pt to Pt Pinos 0-10 nm-SF Bay N of Bay Bridge. Small Craft Advisory from 9 PM this evening to 3 AM PDT Saturday for Pt Arena to Pt Reyes 0-10 nm. Small Craft Advisory from 9 PM this evening to 9 AM PDT Friday for Pt Pinos to Pt Piedras Blancas 0-10 nm. Small Craft Advisory from 3 PM Friday to 3 AM PDT Saturday for Pigeon Pt to Pt Pinos 10-60 NM-Pt Pinos to Pt Piedras Blancas 0-10 nm. Small Craft Advisory from 3 PM this afternoon to 3 AM PDT Saturday for Pt Arena to Pt Reyes 10-60 NM. Small Craft Advisory from 9 PM this evening to 3 AM PDT Friday for Pigeon Pt to Pt Pinos 10-60 NM. && $$ SHORT TERM...MM LONG TERM....MM AVIATION...RGass MARINE...RGass Visit us at www.weather.gov/sanfrancisco Follow us on Facebook, X, and YouTube at: www.facebook.com/nwsbayarea x.com/nwsbayarea www.youtube.com/nwsbayarea