textproduct: San Francisco Bay Area

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 1234 PM PDT Wed Jul 22 2026

- Breezy onshore winds return late this week and into the weekend

- Temperatures near seasonal averages throughout early next week

SHORT TERM

Issued at 1234 PM PDT Wed Jul 22 2026 (This evening through Thursday night)

The marine layer redeveloped overnight to around 1,800 feet in depth and resulted in inland expansion of coastal stratus. Southwest winds also resulted in favored locations in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Marin Coastal Range (Mount Tamalpais) to see drizzle and light rain at times with up to 0.16" of precipitation. With southwesterly winds forecast to persist through early this afternoon, places such as the North Bay and Monterey Bay region may only see stratus scatter out for a few hours this afternoon. As dewpoint temperatures remain in the upper 50s to lower 60s, it will remain muggy feeling throughout much of the day with higher humidity regionwide. Temperatures regionwide have fallen to slightly below average while the North Bay region is expected to be as much as 15 degrees below average.

As winds shift more out of the northwest late this evening and into the overnight across the coastal waters, expecting inland expansion of the stratus once again with a return to a more typical summertime pattern. There is again the potential for mist/drizzle again tonight, yet will be less widespread. Low clouds that do develop inland are forecast to retreat to the coast by mid-to-late morning and especially so by Thursday afternoon.

Maximum afternoon temperatures on Thursday are forecast to range in the upper 50s to lower 70s near the coast, in the 70s bayside, and 80s to lower 90s in the interior. The southern portion of the Central Coast has the greatest potential to exceed 100 deg F in places such as Lockwood, Bradley and Parkfield.

LONG TERM

Issued at 1234 PM PDT Wed Jul 22 2026 (Friday through next Tuesday)

The ridge currently over the Southern Plains is forecast to shift westward towards the Four Corners region over the weekend. This will work to compress our marine layer and allow for a slight warming trend across the interior. However, temperatures will remain within a few degrees of seasonal averages into early next week. As such, expecting typical ebb and flow of stratus returning into the valleys overnight and retreating to the coast by mid-to-late morning.

AVIATION

(00Z TAFS) Issued at 415 PM PDT Wed Jul 22 2026

VFR through the evening hours with KSTS being the only exception due to a local offshore circulation (otter eddy) continuing to push stratus over the coastal range. All terminals are expected to drop into MVFR during the overnight hours with low confidence for timing and extent of potential IFR/LIFR ceilings headed into the hours before sunrise. Expect clearing time to extend into late morning/early afternoon.

Vicinity of SFO...Gusty onshore flow this evening will ease after sunset with MVFR ceilings expected after midnight and late clearing times into the early afternoon. Onshore flow increases once again, becoming gusty Thursday afternoon.

SFO Bridge Approach...Similar to SFO.

Monterey Bay Terminals...Coastal stratus rapidly cleared over the past hour. Return of IFR stratus is expected later this evening and is expected to persist into the early afternoon on Thursday, with VFR expected for the remainder of the TAF period, and breezy afternoon onshore flow.

MARINE

(Tonight through next Monday) Issued at 415 PM PDT Wed Jul 22 2026

Winds will continue to veer to the northwest overnight, then increase through the day Thursday into Friday. Moderate northwesterly flow will persist through the weekend and into next week. Significant wave heights will remain moderate this week before long period southerly swell from Hurricane Fausto reaches the coastal waters this weekend.

MTR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

CA...None. PZ...Small Craft Advisory from 9 AM to 9 PM PDT Thursday for Mry Bay.

Small Craft Advisory from 3 PM Thursday to 3 AM PDT Friday for Pigeon Pt to Pt Pinos 10-60 NM-Pt Arena to Pt Reyes 0-10 nm.

Small Craft Advisory from 9 AM Thursday to 3 AM PDT Friday for Pigeon Pt to Pt Pinos 0-10 nm.

Small Craft Advisory from 9 PM this evening to 3 PM PDT Friday for Pt Pinos to Pt Piedras Blancas 0-10 nm.