Blustery winds, king tides expected to impact Bay Area

Gusts of 45 to 50 mph are expected to begin howling early Sunday afternoon over much of the low-lying areas of the Bay Area, including San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco.

Blustery winds are expected to hit much of the Bay Area on Sunday afternoon, potentially downing trees that remain weakened after the powerful run of atmospheric rivers that hit the region earlier this month.

Gusts of 45 to 50 mph are expected to begin howling early Sunday afternoon over much of the low-lying areas of the Bay Area, including San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco, said Dalton Behringer, a National Weather Service meteorologist. Ridgetops across the Oakland hills and the Santa Cruz Mountains could see gusts of up to 60 mph, he added.

While sunny skies have helped to slightly dry out soils across the region over the last several days, Behringer warned that the ground remains saturated with water after the series of deluges that hit the state from late December through the middle of January.

“Downed trees is kind of the story again,” Behringer said. “We may still see some lingering debris blowing around by those winds.”

High temperatures should be in the mid-to-high 50s for almost the entire Bay Area on Sunday. Sunny skies and temperatures in the high 50s and low 60s are forecast for most of the region for at least the rest of the week.

King tides also are expected to continue hitting coastal parts of the Bay Area through Monday, causing seawater to encroach on low-lying areas. The phenomenon happens when the sun and the moon align to cause a greater-than-usual gravitational tug on the ocean. As a result, coastal areas can see some of the highest tides of the year.

Some roadways and coastal trails may become flooded, the weather service warned, while beachgoers can lose access to entryways and exits of coves during the high tides. Mariners also may encounter difficulty during low tide, the weather service said.