What the National Weather Service is calling the "first major heat event" of the summer is coming to the Bay starting Thursday, and some inland areas are expecting 105-degree afternoons.
It's been since late June that the Bay Area saw some real heat, but the next few days could be significantly warmer as we inch toward September when San Francisco typically sees its hottest days. After a historically chilly July and temperate and often foggy August, high pressure is moving in to heat things up — but that easing of the marine layer can also spell disaster for us in terms of wildfire smoke.
"This is the first major heat event that we have seen this summer,” says NWS Bay Area meteorologist Gerry Diaz, speaking to the Chronicle. "This is in contrast to the cool weather that we’ve had since late May, due to the persistent marine layer."
This first heatwave likely won't heat things up too much for San Francisco, where temperatures in the 70s are most likely, though things could hit 80 along the Bay.
Warming trend starts Thursday as high pressure begins to build. Highs back into the 90s for inland areas. More warming this weekend. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/zt3lGfPYpc
— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) August 26, 2021
Temperatures in the 90s are going to widespread elsewhere in the Bay, Thursday to Sunday, but things are expected to cool off a bit starting Monday, with more fog rolling back in.
The smoke situation could get real around the Bay on Friday, as the marine layer dissipates and wildfire smoke from the Dixie and Monument fires is expected to blow south.
Smoke should stay east of the Bay Area on Thursday but as dry north winds develop by Friday, smoke from the Dixie and Monument fires will likely drift southward over the Bay Area on Friday. #FireWeather #CAwx pic.twitter.com/taJfnyBJVU
— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) August 26, 2021
And who knows! Maybe the prediction is wrong and the wind will shift and SF will actually have a super hot weekend like we had that Labor Day weekend four years ago.
Photo: Andrey Grinkevich