textproduct: San Francisco Bay Area

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 and Santa Clara Hills Tuesday through Wednesday with accumulating snow

- Much colder with mountain snow mid to late week

SHORT TERM

Issued at 140 PM PST Mon Feb 16 2026 (This evening through Tuesday)

The much advertised active weather arrived today. Pretty fascinating synoptic set up at the moment over the Central Coast region. The digging upper trough from Sunday materialized along the Central Coast today. Rounding the base of the trough, and the fuel for the surface low, is a jet max. GOES West derived wind shows the higher winds speed aloft. It does appear the favored left exit region for larger scale ascent is placed a tad farther south the previously forecast. That was likely a contributing factor for the round of intense convection to the south in the LOX WFO area. Regardless, still enough ascent to assist with cyclongensis. The afternoon WPC surface analysis shows a double- barrel low off the Central Coast with a frontal boundary moving inland. Earlier in the day we had a round of intense rain with a subsequent weakening and now another burst of precip as the cold front moves east. The complex surface setup led to gusty winds, heavy rain (several inches of rain), localized urban/small stream flooding, mud/dirt/rock flows onto roads, and a change over to snow over the Santa Lucia Mts.

Tonight through Tuesday: The double-barrel low will weaken and move inland. As this happens winds will remain gusty through this evening then ease overnight. Will keep ongoing Wind Adv over the Central Coast. Rainfall will be light to moderate through this evening and heaviest south of the the Golden Gate. We'll likely see a lull in coverage and intensity overnight, but won't say completely dry. Lastly, the cold temps aloft associated with the low helped drop the snow levels. Snow is now falling over the higher peaks of the Santa Lucia and S Gabilan range. Expect this to persist into early Tuesday. As one system exits, and upstream cold front will quickly replace the Monday system during the day Tuesday. This second system and associated cold front will usher in a much colder airmass, another round of precip, additional gusty winds, thunderstorms, and high elevation snow. The latest timing brings rain back to the N Bay late tonight before spreading S and E Tuesday. As such, expect a messy commute for Tuesday. Rainfall amounts for Tuesday into Wednesday: 0.5-1.5" most areas, 1-2" coastal mts, and locally up to 3" Santa Lucias. This will likely result in additional minor flooding concerns on Tuesday given the filling creeks/streams from Monday. As for winds, they'll increase shortly before sunrise and then increase through the day. They'll be more widespread and gusty across a the entire Bay Area and Central Coast, unlike the Monday system. That being said, just borderline for Wind Adv at this time with gusts 20-40 mph with local gusts to 50 mph. The colder air aloft with the front will help to destabilize the atmosphere leading to another chance for thunderstorms. SPC has the entire region in a general mention for thunder on Tuesday. The more likely scenario will be convective showers with small hail. Last but not least, kept Winter Wx Adv over the peaks of the Central Coast. In fact, amounts in this region went up a tad. Decided to add in the Santa Clara Hills for a Winter Wx Adv on Tuesday into Wednesday. It's a low end event with 4-8 inches of snow likely, but impacts to Hwy 130 tipped the scale.

LONG TERM

Issued at 205 PM PST Mon Feb 16 2026 (Tuesday night through next Sunday)

The active weather from Tuesday will linger Tuesday night into Wednesday as the upper trough follows the front. Impacts for Wednesday will be additional showers, lowering snow levels again (1500ft? N Bay), and cold temperatures. Speaking of temperatures, lows Wednesday AM will be cold with temps in the 30s. Will likely need a mix of Cold Wx Adv and Extreme Cold products. This will be the case for Thursday and Friday mornings too.

The storm door remains open as a third system arrives late Wednesday into Thursday. This system will bring a renewed push of rain, high elevation snow, and gusty winds lingering into Friday. Rainfall amounts: 0.5-1.0" most areas, 1-2" coastal mts. As mentioned previously, we'll have cold air in place. The interesting part will be much lingering precip will there be on Friday to accompany the cold air. Still seeing some rather low snow levels for portions of the Bay Area. Given lack of conf on moisture don't think amounts will be that high, but would not be surprised to see some novelty flakes for very wet flakes below 1000 ft, especially the N Bay.

A brief break in the action with just a few showers late Friday into Saturday, but yet another system takes aim as the region Saturday into Sunday. Details will be fine tuned as this event nears.

Thoughts on hydro: while no single storm looks like a major hydro event all of these storms piling on top of each other may push some of the bigger rivers into action stage by the weekend. The smaller/flashier streams have a higher likelihood of have issues. Given the filling culverts and creeks, additional Flood Adv will likely be needed this week.

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 929 AM PST Mon Feb 16 2026

Mixed bag of flt cond across the region this morning as a potent, cold core surface low pressure system moves into the Central Coast of CA. Heaviest rainfall exiting the region late this morning will be replaced by some clearing overnight with isolated low stratus. Another round of rainfall and thick cloud cover on tap for Tuesday morning prior to sunrise lasting thru the rest of the period. Perhaps bigger story for aviators will be gusty post- frontal winds this afternoon, which will likely persist thru the rest of the TAF period with the exception of some sheltered inland valleys.

Vicinity of SFO...Current round of light-moderate rain lasting thru 19Z with scattered shra afterward into the afternoon. Mostly dry overnight with gusty NW post-frontal winds likely to persist thru the overnight hours. Another round of rainfall and gusty pre-frontal S-SW winds ahead of the next system just prior to sunrise Tuesday morning, likely to persist into the afternoon.

SFO Bridge Approach...Similar to SFO.

Monterey Bay Terminals...Potential for gusty SW winds along coastal areas as a surface low pressure system moves into the Central Coast. Otherwise heaviest of the rainfall is behind us at least thru midday. Another round of moderate-to-heavy rainfall likely this afternoon across the Central Coast and Monterey Bay regions. Mostly drier overnight with isolated areas of low stratus, but anticipating mostly MVFR/VFR at terminals overnight.

MARINE

(Today through Saturday) Issued at 929 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.

Winter Weather Advisory from 6 AM Tuesday to 4 PM PST Wednesday for CAZ514.

Wind Advisory until 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 until 3 AM PST Tuesday for 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-Pigeon Pt to Pt Pinos 10-60 NM.

Small Craft Advisory until 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 until 3 PM PST this afternoon for Pt Arena to Pt Reyes 10-60 NM.

Gale Warning until 3 AM PST Tuesday for Pt Arena to Pt Reyes 10- 60 NM.