Brace Yourself for a Frosty Start to 2025 in the Bay Area

Are you ready for a chilly welcome to 2025? The National Weather Service is forecasting that the cold snap in the Bay Area isn't over yet. On the last day of 2024, expect temperatures to drop significantly, especially in the early mornings. A cold front moved in on Sunday, leading to frost and freeze advisories for Monday and Tuesday. Monday night into Tuesday morning is predicted to be one of the coldest nights of the year. Braydon Murdock, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service for the San Francisco Bay Area, explained that while there won't be any extreme weather, the primary concern is the cold. Interior areas like the East Bay, Sonoma County, and Monterey County might see temperatures as low as the upper 20s. North Bay cities such as Santa Rosa, Napa, and San Rafael, along with Monterey and San Benito counties, are at a major risk from the cold snap. The peninsula, East Bay, South Bay, and Santa Cruz County are also at moderate risk.

The chill continues into Wednesday, with Monterey County expected to hit lows in the 20s, and the rest of the region in the 30s and 40s. Coastal and bayside areas will be even colder. Fortunately, temperatures should improve later in the week, with more cloud cover. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District advises against burning wood in fireplaces or wood stoves until after New Year's Day to maintain healthy air quality. While there's no ban on wood burning, the air quality is expected to be moderate. Later in the week, some rain is forecast, mostly in the North Bay. Murdock predicts a drizzle from Wednesday to Thursday and possibly half an inch of precipitation on Friday and Saturday. The Sierra Nevada is expected to be dry initially but may see snow on Friday into Saturday, which could affect highways like Interstate 80 and Highway 50. Mark Deutschendors, another meteorologist, mentioned that Lake Tahoe might get 2-5 inches of snow at higher elevations on Friday. However, weather models aren't fully aligned, so the chances of rain next week could be limited.

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