California Coast Braces for Unseasonably Cool Temperatures, Bay Area Sees Little relief
Coastal California is experiencing a notable drop in temperatures this week, with conditions expected to be 5 to 15 degrees below normal, beginning Monday night. While Los Angeles residents may welcome the cooler air after recent heat waves, the Bay Area is facing a prolonged period of chilly weather, following what has already been its coldest summer in decades.
Meteorologist Karleisa Rogacheski of the National Weather Service confirmed the unusual forecast, noting that coastal California typically experiences its warmest weather after Labor Day. Typically, August averages 0.3 degrees warmer than September, with a more noticeable drop in October, according to meteorologist Devin Black.
Southern California will see the coldest temperatures bottom out on Wednesday, though a slight warming trend is possible towards the weekend. Highs could be up to 15 degrees below average. los Angeles can expect a thick marine layer and potential light drizzle Tuesday and Wednesday, while Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties may experience light showers due to an approaching upper-level low-pressure system.
The Bay Area will also see a ample temperature decrease,with highs in the low 60s expected in parts of San Francisco and mid-70s elsewhere. Sonoma and Napa counties could also receive light showers.
This widespread cooling contrasts with conditions in inland areas,wich have experienced monsoonal patterns – warm,moist air with limited rainfall. This combination recently fueled intense lightning activity, particularly in Northern california near the Oregon and Nevada borders, sparking the TCU September Lightning Complex fire on September 2nd, which has already destroyed nearly 100 structures and burned close to 14,000 acres. Experts predict these conditions will persist in the far north even as the coast cools.
Despite the overall trend, a brief respite is possible for bay Area residents hoping for a late-season beach day. Sunday is currently forecast to be warmer, though Rogacheski cautions that this warming may be short-lived. “We still have the rest of September and into October were we could see the later summer-type temperatures,” she said,”But right now… the forecast is more zonal flow,which could mean more status quo.”