987 FXUS66 KMTR 280041 AFDMTRArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service San Francisco CA 541 PM PDT Sat Sep 27 2025
...New AVIATION...
.KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 209 PM PDT Sat Sep 27 2025
- Rain and thunderstorm chances return Monday
- Rain lingers through Wednesday
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.SHORT TERM... Issued at 209 PM PDT Sat Sep 27 2025 (This evening through Sunday)
We have a southerly surge underway with low stratus along the Pacific Coast and even continuing to push inland through the Golden Gate Gap and Monterey Bay - as such, I don`t think the sun will be seen along the Pacific Coast today. The cooling and moistening trend will continue through the weekend due to an approaching upper-level longwave trough. This aforementioned feature will allow for the marine layer to deepen and perhaps even provide enough lift to squeeze out some drizzle along the coast and orographically enhanced locations. Temperatures will be near to slightly below normal today with widespread well below normal temperatures by tomorrow.
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.LONG TERM... Issued at 209 PM PDT Sat Sep 27 2025 (Monday through next Friday)
The first of two systems will approach the region on Monday. Warm sector (light, stratiform) rain is expected Monday morning ahead of the cold front that will bring relatively intense rainfall and the chance for thunderstorms Monday afternoon into Monday evening. The moisture is sourced from the subtropics with the GEFS and ECMWF Ensemble IVT Forecast ensemble mean showing it peaking around 350 kg/ms Monday afternoon and dropping below 250 kg/ms by Monday night. Thunderstorm chances remain, but have decreased. The essential ingredients for a thunderstorm are lift, instability, and moisture. The lifting mechanisms and moisture have already been discussed, but the instability is looking more and more like it will be the limiting factor. Lapse rates have decreased to become stable and MUCAPE has trended down to 100-150 J/kg and even this was difficult to find as coverage has shrunk. Post-frontal rain showers are to be expected on Tuesday between system one and two. System two will get it`s moisture from Typhoon Neoguri in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean as it overtops a subtropical ridge in the Central Pacific Ocean and feeds into a developing gale force low pressure system off the Washington Coast. There is uncertainty in the exact timing of this second system, but as with the first system, the timing has been pushed back. It is now looking like the arrival time of this second system will be early Wednesday morning. This system is expected to have even less favorable ingredients for thunderstorms. As is typical with Gulf of Alaska systems, there will be a stark northwest to southeast rainfall gradient. When all is said and done, the North Bay can expect to see up to 1.25" with the Interior Central Coast becoming less likely to receive any rainfall. We will continue to monitor the potential for any stalling/stationary nature of these systems. Fortunately, right now rainfall rates and totals are not worrisome. It is also worth noting that as the track has shifted farther north, rainfall totals have decreased.
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.AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 541 PM PDT Sat Sep 27 2025
The SBA-SFO and SMX-SFO pressure gradients are 1.6 mb and 2.1 mb respectively, while the SFO-SAC pressure gradient is 2.5 mb, these are stronger than the ACV-SFO pressure gradient 0.7 mb. The surface pressure gradients are resulting in a mix of southerly and onshore winds, combining with deepening marine layer stratus, fog and a few areas of light drizzle/sprinkles in the coastal mountains. The NAM and HREF show an increase in stratus /IFR-MVFR/ tonight and Sunday. 90-100% probability of IFR in the HREF suggests increasing drizzle potential in the coastal mountains, some of which may also reach into the North Bay tonight and Sunday morning.
Vicinity of SFO...VFR-MVFR. Southwest wind 15 to 22 knots until 04z this evening, wind decreasing to 10 knots tonight and Sunday morning with a few gusts to 20 knots Sunday afternoon and early evening.
SFO Bridge Approach...Similar to SFO.
Monterey Bay Terminals...VFR this evening, then IFR-MVFR in stratus tonight and Sunday morning. Patchy drizzle possible tonight and Sunday. Southerly winds along the coast are resulting in a mix of variable and southwesterly wind at KMRY while it`s northwesterly at KSNS. Post sunset stabilizing of the initial land/sea temperature differences and pressure gradients will result in a decrease in winds tonight and Sunday morning. Winds generally becoming light and variable tonight and Sunday morning then onshore Sunday afternoon and early evening.
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.MARINE... (Tonight through next Thursday) Issued at 209 PM PDT Sat Sep 27 2025
Strong southwesterly gusts will persist over the San Pablo Bay, Suisun Bay, the West Delta and the San Francisco Bay north of the Bay Bridge through this evening. Gentle to moderate southerly breezes will allow for seas to subside into early Sunday morning. An approaching upper level trough and surface cold front will bring rain, isolated embedded thunderstorms, and building seas to the coastal waters Monday into early Tuesday. A second system will arrive Tuesday into Wednesday and continue rain chances across the coastal waters.
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.MTR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CA...None. PZ...Small Craft Advisory until 9 PM PDT this evening for SF Bay N of Bay Bridge.
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SHORT TERM...Sarment LONG TERM....Sarment AVIATION...Canepa MARINE...RGass
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