Another Mini-Heat Wave & Poor Air Quality

High pressure returns to the Bay Area today.  The calming influence stops the cooling sea breeze everywhere today and tomorrow. 

 

You will notice the increased warmth today compared to yesterday, especially along the Coast and into Downtown San Francisco.  

Prepare for temperatures well above normal, could be uncomfortable for those without air conditioning. 

 

The calming influence created by the high pressure stagnates our air.  The build-up of pollution, ground based ozone, could reach unhealthy levels today and tomorrow.

Last week's heat wave brought a barrage of base hits and runs scored at the Giants game.  It will be warm again for tonight's game.....

The sea breeze returns to the Coast Friday and spills into the Bay Saturday and our Inland valleys Sunday.  High temperatures drop 15 to 20° by Labor Day.

7 DAY FORECAST - Graphic

7 DAY FORECAST - Video

Winter Weather Outlook - 2 Perspectives

Folks hammered by record snowfall in the mid-Atlantic and freakishly cold temperatures in the South can warm up to the latest forecast by the Farmers' Almanac.  The 194-year-old publication is predicting a "kinder and gentler" winter season for much of the nation. 

The Maine-based almanac, which claims it correctly forecast the Middle Atlantic's mega snowstorms, says in its 2011 edition that goes on sale Monday that it'll be plenty cold but nothing like last winter, when stunned iguanas fell from trees in Florida and 49 states experienced snowfall.

It will still be colder than normal for much of the country, the almanac says, and New England will get a "cold slap in the face" after missing last winter's misery.  Residents of the upper Midwest and Great Lakes are expected to get the piles of snow that'll be lacking elsewhere.  Also, the almanac calls for mild temperatures in the Northwest and cold in the Southeast.

The forecast is at odds with NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, which projects warmer-than-normal winter for the mid-Atlantic and Southeast, and colder-than-normal weather in the Northwest.

 

 

 

Looks like the CPC thinks we have equal chances of being above average, below average, or average.
  
The Maine-based Farmers' Almanac is not to be confused with the New Hampshire-based Old Farmer's Almanac. Both issue annual forecasts, with The Old Farmer's Almanac scheduled for release Sept. 7.

Hottest Day in San Jose

Hello Mike,

MSN weather site listed Nov 20/1996 was a hottest day in San Jose, Ca at 126 degrees?!  Was that possible or just a mistake?  I can not find anywhere mention that!  

What is the record low and high ever here in San Jose?

Thanks,

David Nguyen  

Hi David,

Nice hearing from you.  I appreciate the question.  

The Western Regional Climate Center says San Jose's warmest high on November 20th is 74 degrees from 2002.  Their highest official temperature is 109° on July 14 of 2000.

At the other extreme, the thermometer read 18° on the 6th of January in 1894 for the coldest official temperature in San Jose.

Hope this helps.

Have a great weekend!

Mike

Perfect Pet - August 27th

 
Meet Clipper!

I’m a 5 year old Pit Bull mix with tons of energy!  I’m curious, outgoing, friendly and playful. I’m very active and need lots of exercise.  I’m also quite strong so am looking for owners with strong physical strength and experience with large dogs.  I should do well with older children that are 10 years and up, but we should meet first.

If you are interested in bringing me home, come and see me at the Peninsula Humane Society.  My ID is A466283.

12 Airport Boulevard
San Mateo, CA 94401-1098
(650) 340-7022

Our Cool Summer is Back

Ever since the heat peaked Tuesday, our afternoon temperatures were on a steady decline everywhere Wednesday and Thursday as the high pressure responsible moved east.

The biggest heat loss occurred along the Coast and Bay Shore as the sea breeze returned Wednesday afternoon.

 

The sea breeze pushed deeper into our valleys Thursday and carried even cooler air to the Coast and Bay Shore.

Almost an unprecedented drop in afternoon high temperatures over a 24 and 48 hour period.  

 
Today, temperatures are now near to below average.  A cold front arrives tonight and cools our Saturday highs another 4 - 8°.  Highs will remain below average through the weekend. 

7 DAY FORECAST - Graphic

7 DAY FORECAST - Video

Record Highs Monday - Wednesday

RECORD HEAT WAVE THIS WEEK:

Monday:
Concord:  99°  (old, 94° in 2005)
Hayward:  91°  (old, 79° in 2003)
Moffett Field:  93°  (old, 92° in 1992)
Napa:  95°  (old, 85° in 2003)
Oakland Airport:  95°  (old, 88° in 1959)
Oakland Museum:  90°  (old, 90° in 1971)
Salinas:  89°  (old, 84° in 1968)
Salinas Airport:  91°  (old, 84° in 1968)   
San Francisco Airport:  92°  (old, 91° in 1959) 
San Jose:  95°  (old, 92° in 1959)
San Rafael:  97° (old, 94° in 1974) 
Santa Rosa:  99°  (old, 90° in 1998)
 
Tuesday:
Concord:  106°  (old, 96° in 2003)
Gilroy:  110°  (old, 98° in 1974)
Hayward:  100°  (old, 93° in 2003)
Kentfield:  105°  (old, 103° in 1931)
Moffett Field:  100°  (old, 93° in 2003)
*Monterey:  96°  (old, 83° in 2003)
Napa:  104°  (old, 95° in 2003)
Oakland Airport:  99°  (old, 91° in 2003)
Oakland Museum:  98°  (old, 91° in 2003)
Salinas:  101°  (old, 88° in 2003)
Salinas Airport:  101°  (old, 88° in 2003)
*San Francisco:  98°  (old, 89 in 2003)
San Francisco Airport:  99°  (old, 88° in 2003) 
San Jose:  102°  (old, 99° in 1931)
San Rafael:  100° (old, 94° in 1971)
Santa Cruz:  101°  (old, 90 in 1926) 
Santa Rosa:  107°  (old, 102° in 1931)
*Tied all time temperature for the month of August.

Wednesday:
Concord:  103°  (old, 102° in 1999)
Hayward:  92°  (old, 90° in 2003)
Livermore:  105°  (old, 104° in 1988)
Oakland Airport:  88°  (old, 86° in 2003)
San Jose:  100°  (old, 97° in 1988)
Santa Rosa:  103°  (old, 101° in 1999)

Our sea breeze (free air conditioning) returns today and creates a dramatic drop in our afternoon highs.  A few examples below.  The asterisk signals record highs yesterday.

Annual August Mars Hoax

You may receive an e-mail similar to this one the next few days.

Hey, you'all............Wanna join me outside?   We'll ALL pretend we're watching the TWO MOONS together! 

This is real!!

27th of August, the Whole World is waiting for.............

Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky starting August. It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. This will culminate on Aug. 27 when Mars comes within 34.65 million miles off earth. Be sure to watch the sky on Aug. 27 12:30 am. It will look like the earth has 2 moons.

  
The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287.

Share this with your friends as NO ONE ALIVE TODAY will ever see it again. 

Don't believe it.  It's a hoax that circulates every August. 

Check out this article from NASA.  It states the truth and how the hoax began.

The Mutating Mars Hoax

My Journey - Temperatures Today

When I left our studios in Downtown San Francisco the temperature was 81° at 12:30 PM. After crossing the Bay Bridge, the temperature climbed to 89° as I approached the west side of the Caldecott Tunnel in Oakland. Once I punched out the east side, the temperature quickly climbed to 98° by Orinda. 

I reached Walnut Creek about 26 minutes later and recorded my first triple digit heat.  As I travled south on I-680 the temperature bounced between 99 and 103°.

This was the temperature when I pulled into the fitness center's parking lot in San Ramon.

This was the temperature when I left the fitness center for carpool duties.  The heat from the asphalt pushed the temperature another 16 degrees higher up the scale.  You could feel the heat upwelling from the asphalt on your legs.  

Record Heat, Poor Air Quality Today

FORECASTED RECORD HIGHS TODAY AND THE CURRENT RECORDS:
CONCORD:  103° - (old, 96° in 2003)
GILROY:  102° - (old, 98° in 1974)
HAYWARD: 94° - (old, 93° in 2003)
NAPA:  100° - (old, 95° in 2003)
OAKLAND: 93° - (old, 90° in 1971)
RICHMOND: 90° - (old, 87° in 1959)
SALINAS ARPT: 90° - (old, 88° in 2003
SAN FRANCISCO: 91° - (old, 89° in 2003)
SFO AIRPORT: 93° - (old, 88° in 2003)
SAN JOSE: 99° - (old, 92° in 2003)
SANTA ROSA: 101° - (old, 95° in 2003)
SAN RAFAEL: 98° - (old, 94° in 1971)

 
Our high temperatures today will be even warmer than yesterday and the warmest this year. 

 
The heat will build to dangerous levels around the Bay this afternoon.

 
Our poor air quality could develop again in the Santa Clara Valley and spread into the East Bay Valleys this afternoon.

Perfect Pet Update - Izzy

 

Looks like Izzy has settled in nicely at his new home! Izzy's new family saw him on ABC Perfect Pet where he was described as not having much luck getting adopted since he's an older dog. Looks like Izzy's luck has changed!

Rob and Alice Patton turned in to watch the Perfect Pet segment with Meteorologist Mike Nicco on KGO-TV's Midday News Friday, August 13th after seeing Izzy on the Marine Humane Society'swebsite.  Izzy was up for adoption but not having much luck because he's an "older" dog.   After prompt phone/fax exchanges with the Society, the Patton's drove Izzy home to Novoto last Tuesday.  At the Humane Society's suggestion we brought him to our local vet, Steve Bohn, who dittoed the Society's diagnosis that he's as healthy as a small horse and likely to be active for a long while.