, Issued at 129 PM PDT Wed Apr 22 2026 (This afternoon through Thursday)
While not as active as 24 hours ago we still have KMUX is precip mode. Current radar loop this afternoon still shows widely scattered showers around the Bay Area and Central Coast. Afternoon visible satellite shows popcorn city with an extensive CU field blanketing the region. Why the showers? The main storm system from yesterday has exited to the east. On the back side of this system are trialing embedded vort maxes/shortwaves. Those features in conjunction with lingering moisture, daytime heating, and weak instability has led to the showers. That being said, not enough lift or vertically developed storms to generate thunderstorms.
This evening and tonight, once the Sun sets expect shower activity to quickly diminish and CU field thin. One potential impact tonight will be some developing low stratus and fog. Clearing skies and decreasing winds will allow for some fog development over the inland valleys.
Thursday: Dry, warmer, and more sunshine due to weak upper level ridging. Max temps will be in the 60s to mid 70s, which is closer to seasonal averages.
..issued at 129 PM PDT Wed Apr 22 2026 (Thursday night through next Tuesday)
A few days ago the longer term forecast didn't look to interesting from a weather impact standpoint, but a trend has emerged over the last 24-36 hrs showing active weather will continue. First and foremost it will not be as dynamic as the system that we just had. However, a previously dry-ish weekend is now trending "wetter". What's the trend? Subtle ridging aloft is now looking more trough-y with an upper low over the region. The longwave pattern keeps kicking the upper low from yesterday eastward. In its wake subtle ridging is now being replaced by another upstream trough. It now appears enough jet dynamics aloft emerge to shift the broad upper trough to a more pronounced upper low late Thursday into Friday. Heights begin to fall by Friday lowering temps and ushering in more clouds. By Saturday morning an upper low develops off the Central Coast. As such, light drizzle/light rain will return. This set up will persist through early Sunday with drizzle/light rain. Not expecting much accumulation, just some wet ground, clouds, and cooler temps. Another upper low develop early next week bring additional rain chances on Tuesday into Wednesday. Again, not a big storm, just additional moisture.
(06z TAFS) Issued at 1020 PM PDT Wed Apr 22 2026
The drying trend continues for the 06Z TAFs. Light winds persist overnight and into the early morning hours. Winds increase during the day becoming moderate. Some high clouds will move over the area late morning Thursday. An intrusion of low-level CIGs will move onshore Thursday night as winds reduce. KHAF will be the first to be impacted which is then followed by KOAK and KSFO resulting in MVFR conditions towards the end of the TAF period. All other sites will be VFR.
Vicinity of SFO, Westerly winds are forecast for the majority of the TAF period with a brief period of northerly winds in the late morning on Thursday. By the early afternoon, the winds will shift west again while becoming moderate and gusty through the night. Mainly VFR this TAF period up until 11Z Friday when CIGs lower to MVFR conditions.
SFO Bridge Approach, Similar to SFO.
Monterey Bay Terminals, VFR through the TAF period. Winds are becoming light and variable and cloud cover has mostly cleared. Low clouds look to form on the mountain tops in the area overnight, but don't look to affect the TAF sites. Those clouds erode into the early morning with moderate west to northwest winds affecting the region into the late morning. These last into the early night before reducing.
(tonight through next Tuesday) Issued at 1020 PM PDT Wed Apr 22 2026
Showers have dissipated leading to calmer and clearing conditions. A moderate north breeze will develop into a fresh northwest breeze by Thursday afternoon. Wind and seas will begin to gradually subside on Friday, continuing into the weekend.
Ca, None. PZ, Small Craft Advisory from 3 PM to 9 PM PDT Thursday for Pigeon Pt to Pt Pinos 0-10 nm-Pt Arena to Pt Reyes 0-10 nm-Pt Pinos to Pt Piedras Blancas 0-10 nm-Pt Reyes to Pigeon Pt 0- 10 nm.
Small Craft Advisory from 3 AM Thursday to 3 PM PDT Friday for Pt Arena to Pt Reyes 10-60 NM.
Small Craft Advisory from 3 PM Thursday to 3 AM PDT Friday for Pigeon Pt to Pt Pinos 10-60 NM.
