National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Strong Storm System Brings Heavy Mountain Snow to the Sierra Nevada and Critical Fire Weather Conditions to the Plains

A Pacific storm system will continue to bring low elevation rain and mountain snow to much of the West through Wednesday, with heavy mountain snow expected in the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada. This system will also bring strong winds to the Intermountain West, Rockies, and Plains, which will create Critical fire weather conditions for the High Plains. Read More >

ZOA CWSU Discussion KSFO TAF TDA
AWAITING CWSU INPUT
TAF TDA

KSFO/KSQL METAR
METAR
Area PIREPs
PIREP
   
Satellite Webcams, Ceiling≤030 Prob
Webcams

Click here to reload map


SIERRA 03 Hour Forecast SIERRA 12 Hour Forecast SIGMETs
TANGO 03 Hour Forecast TANGO 12 Hour Forecast
ZULU 03 Hour Forecast ZULU 12 Hour Forecast
Area Forecast Discussion Forecast Maps

514
FXUS66 KMTR 221135
AFDMTR

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Francisco CA
435 AM PDT Wed Apr 22 2026

...New AVIATION, MARINE...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 1004 PM PDT Tue Apr 21 2026

- Cool conditions Wednesday with lingering showers through the
morning

- Seasonal temperatures and dry conditions arrive Thursday

- Monitoring potential rain and drizzle this weekend into the
early part of next week

&&

.SHORT TERM...
Issued at 1004 PM PDT Tue Apr 21 2026
(Tonight through Thursday)

It was a pretty active day on Tuesday with quite a bit of lightning
reported across the Bay Area and Central Coast, and a funnel cloud
reported near Fremont. The chances for convection have basically
shut down as with the lack of solar heating, and while lingering
isolated showers are possible through the rest of the morning, not
expecting convection to be an issue through Wednesday. Beyond the
lingering showers, skies will be generally clearing Wednesday
morning with mostly sunny conditions and a gentle onshore breeze
developing by the afternoon hours. Low temperatures this morning
range from the upper 30s to the middle 40s in the inland valleys, to
the upper 40s and lower 50s near the coast and the Bays. High
temperatures on Wednesday are close to the upper 50s to the middle
60s in the lower elevations, with a slight warming gradient towards
the inland valleys, and the upper 40s to middle 50s at the higher
elevations.

&&

.LONG TERM...
Issued at 1004 PM PDT Tue Apr 21 2026
(Thursday night through next Tuesday)

Temperatures will warm slightly for Thursday and Friday as a barely
noticeable ridge sets up over the region, with highs in the lower
elevations range from the lower 60s to lower 70s, close to or
slightly below the seasonal averages. Into the weekend, another
trough will come into the region and cause temperatures to dip
again, introducing slight chances for light rain and drizzle that
are expected to continue through the middle of next week. The latest
CPC outlook leans towards precipitation totals above the seasonal
averages heading into the first week of May, with the note that this
late into the spring, the daily seasonal average rainfall at
downtown San Francisco falls around two or three hundredths of an
inch.

&&

.AVIATION...
(12Z TAFS)
Issued at 425 AM PDT Wed Apr 22 2026

A mix of MVFR/VFR cigs this morning for the North Bay and Bay Area
terminals. Once the majority of the rainfall shifts east into the
Central Valley by early afternoon, expect VFR to prevail through
the remainder of the TAF period. Southeast winds out ahead of the
rainfall will become W/NW by the afternoon and remain relatively
light.

Vicinity of SFO...Mix of MVFR/VFR cigs this morning will become
VFR by the afternoon and remain so through the TAF period.
Southeast winds this morning will become northwest in the wake of
the shower activity and remain relatively light.

SFO Bridge Approach...Similar to SFO.

Monterey Bay Terminals...Expect VFR to prevail through the TAF
period with light rain from showers that will approach Monterey
Bay by late morning. There is a slight chance for MVFR cigs if the
showers move directly over the terminal, otherwise expect minimal
impact. Southerly winds this morning will become westerly this
afternoon and persist through the remainder of the TAF period.

&&

.MARINE...
(Today through Monday)
Issued at 425 AM PDT Wed Apr 22 2026

Scattered light showers will drift southeast through the southern
waters this morning into early afternoon. Moderate northwest
breeze will develop this afternoon, then increase on Thursday to a
fresh northwest breeze. Wind and seas will begin to gradually
ease on Friday, continuing into the weekend.

&&

.MTR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...None.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory from 3 PM to 9 PM PDT Thursday for Pigeon
Pt to Pt Pinos 0-10 nm-Pt Arena to Pt Reyes 0-10 nm-Pt
Pinos to Pt Piedras Blancas 0-10 nm-Pt Reyes to Pigeon Pt 0-
10 nm.

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

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

&&

$$

SHORT TERM...DialH
LONG TERM....DialH
AVIATION...JM
MARINE...JM

Visit us at www.weather.gov/sanfrancisco

Follow us on Facebook, X, and YouTube at:
www.facebook.com/nwsbayarea
x.com/nwsbayarea
www.youtube.com/nwsbayarea




   Select:      24HR Change/Gradients  |  Forecast Gradients   
OSO001
   Select:      MOS/BUFKIT  |  HREF Ceiling  |  WRF RH  |  WRF Ceiling  |  NBM MOS  |  LAMP MOS   






Yesterday ⇛Visible  ⇛Nighttime  ⇛GeoColor+GLM Today
 
24-Hour Temp Change 24-Hour RH Change

⇛Visible  ⇛Nighttime  ⇛GeoColor+GLM

Webcams