Prediction Jargon Decoder: Wednesday, July 3, 2024
Beneath the heat bubble created by the historic lingering heat wave, a small eddy near San Francisco sent out temperatures in the teens to 20s from the central Golden Gate to Brooks Island and Larkspur, and possibly even a third level. The narrow wind. Avenue access.
Meanwhile, there will be only weak southerly swirling winds along California's central coast in Arroyo, Pismo and Jalama, while Southern California will have moderate ocean breezes.
All this happens is this:
1. An upper ridge 3,000 miles wide and about 18,000 feet high stretches from Russia to North Dakota, dumping hot air over the western United States.
2. South of the upper ridge is a cutoff low. This combination prevents the normal change of weather from west to east, so the heat can last for days!
3. At the surface, North Pacific high pressure extends a ridge as far away as Northern California and into Nevada, Utah and Idaho.
4. In response, a massive, deadly low pressure expanded from the Sea of Cortez to much of California, including San Francisco and Isabela/
5. A small eddy near San Francisco blows a narrow stream of cool southwesterly winds across the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge. Later in the afternoon these winds will move closer to the coast and should be usable after some hard work.
6. For the central California coast, a weak southerly eddy blocks any northwesterly winds.
7. Southern California local sea breeze It develops when low pressure retreats inland in the afternoon.
Curious about the Bay Area wind? See our wind blog!
