The start of the last official month of summer kicked off Friday without scorching temperatures, muggy air, warm winds or any of the other weather conditions that might seem normal for the Bay Area this late in the season.
Instead, the summer’s final countdown began with requests for sweaters, an extra blanket for the bed and, for those in the northern part of the Bay, an umbrella check.
What is this, winter?
“It’s pretty unusual,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Dalton Behringer. “It’s not entirely out of the question that we have a stretch like this in the summer, but in terms of climatology it’s pretty rare.”
The hottest spots in the region on Friday were expected to get just two or three ticks above 70 degrees, according to the weather service. Areas along the coast are not expected to exceed 65.
The arrival of such a winter-like system comes from the north, according to Behringer. A deep low pressure system is moving into the region from the Gulf of Alaska, bringing very cold air into the upper atmosphere.
It could also bring up to a few hundredths of an inch of measurable rain to areas of Sonoma and Napa County, as well as a chance of isolated drizzle in the East Bay and South Bay, according to the weather service.
The unusual weather in August is the result of what Behringer called a “pattern shift” in the weather system. Whether that symbolizes a change should occur in what the region should expect in the final 30 days of the official summer season is a little more questionable, he said.
“It’s hard to say,” Behringer said. “It’s just one of those isolated things at the moment. Sure, it’s tracking the way we prefer, because it’s going to keep us from getting sea breezes. That’s a good sign. It also hopefully adds a little bit of luck to the fire season.”
The cooldown won’t last very long, according to the weather service. Temperatures will begin to warm up to seasonal norms Sunday, and the hottest spots in the Gulf will likely see at least 95 degrees by the middle of next week.
“As we get to the end of next week, we’ll probably see temperatures creep back a little bit toward their seasonal norms,” Behringer said. “All in all, it’s going to be pretty mild.”
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