Bay Area Ocean Temperatures Above Historical Average

Ocean water temperatures in the San Francisco Bay Area are above their historical summertime average, a National Weather Service meteorologist said.

Meteorologist Charles Bell said the ocean temperature at the Monterey Bay buoy should be 56 degrees at this time of year. It touched 64 degrees Sunday.

Temperatures closer to San Francisco are at least five degrees above normal, Bell said.

The biggest impact will be on coastal residents who will be warmer as land temperatures don’t drop as low as they would have, he said. Almost no one has air conditioning near the coast, he said.

Water at the beaches will be warmer too. Some people could go in without a wet suit, Bell said.

Water temperatures average 58 to 59 degrees in July and meteorologists will be monitoring ocean temperatures during the next 30 days.

Meteorologists are wondering whether temperatures will meet or exceed 68 degrees, the record set on July 23 last year, Bell said.

“Will we hit 68 degrees again or 70?” he asked.

Bell said the rising water temperatures also mean fewer clouds along the coast, which means warmer and warmer days. The warmer days will impact coastal plants, which fog and lower temperatures benefit, Bell said.

Warmer days also increase the risk of Bay Area wildfires.

Firefighters Quickly Extinguish Early Morning Blaze Inside Mall

Firefighters quickly extinguished a small fire early this morning coming from inside the Westfield San Francisco Centre.

At 3:50 a.m., fire crews responded to reports of a fire coming from a Jamba Juice in the lower level of the shopping center, located at 865 Market Street, according to fire officials.

The fire was quickly extinguished by firefighters and there were no reports of any injuries, fire officials said.

Investigators are looking into what caused the blaze, although arson is not suspected, according to fire officials.

Weather Forecast For The San Francisco Bay Area

Today will be cloudy in the morning with patchy fog and drizzle and then become sunny. Highs will be in the 60s. Southwest winds will reach 5 to 10 miles per hour and increase to 10 to 20 miles per hour with gusts reaching around 35 miles per hour in the afternoon.

Tonight will be mostly cloudy and breezy with patchy fog and drizzle after midnight. Lows will be in the upper 50s. West winds will reach 20 to 30 miles per hour and decrease to around 10 miles per hour after midnight.

Tuesday will be cloudy in the morning with patchy fog and drizzle and then become partly cloudy. Highs will be in the 60s and west winds will reach 10 to 15 miles per hour.

(News Roundup Via Bay City News)