A ‘last hurrah’ for the Bay Area heat hits on Thursday
Record-threatening forecasts were present throughout the Bay Area on Thursday as a 'last hurrah' was in store for the heat.
In the perfect melting pot of peak-California weather in October, what’s likely to be the most scorching day for the rest of the calendar year could be followed by weekend rain showers, according to the National Weather Service.
The two-day heat wave that left pumpkin-patch attendees clinging to blotches of shade on Wednesday only ramped up on Thursday with triple-digit potential in the forecasts.
NWS meteorologist Crystal Oudit said more records could fall on Thursday. San Francisco International Airport tied its record temperature with a high of 86 on Wednesday.
Several forecast highs on Thursday threatened records, including Santa Rosa’s prediction of 95 (against a record of 95 in 1921), San Jose’s 95 (91 in 1913), Half Moon Bay’s 88 (82 in 1998), Downtown San Francisco’s 90 (90 in 1992) and SFO at 92 (86 in 2022).
“Some of the forecasts are predicted to either tie (the records) or break them,” Oudit said.
Other Bay Area forecast highs included 93 in Concord, 94 in Livermore, 90 in Santa Cruz, 94 in Palo Alto, 100 in Gilroy and 91 in Oakland.
Hotter temperatures arrive today with highs in the 80s and 90s. Are you ready for the heat? Stay hydrated and take cooling breaks, monitor those sensitive to heat, and NEVER leave people or pets in locked vehicles. #cawx pic.twitter.com/8J2KYPwJPW
— NWS Bay Area
(@NWSBayArea) October 19, 2023
The NWS’s heat advisory was set to remain in effect until 11 p.m. Thursday, after being issued Wednesday. The advisory warns people to drink excessive fluids when outdoors and to exercise caution in the extreme heat.
The blistering heat on Thursday should mark the last day of truly uncomfortable temperatures for 2023, according to the NWS, as a drop to the lower 80s and 70s was predicted for Friday in most Bay Area cities.
In a complete about-face from the heat wave, rain could hit the region over the weekend, according to the NWS.
On Saturday night, confidence was at about 30% for rain throughout most of the Bay Area, and that possibility jumped up to 60% on Sunday. With the rain, lower temperatures in the low 70s and mid-to-high 60s were predicted to follow.
Though the abrupt transition to truly-autumn weather may seem strange, it’s business as usual for the Bay Area in this time of year, Oudit said.
“We have another low-pressure system following the high pressure,” she said. “It’s not unusual.”