Unseasonably cold and even dangerously low temperatures will sweep across part of Central California later this week, putting millions at risk of hypothermia.
An extreme cold watch has been issued for vast regions of California, encompassing more than 4 million people. The weather alert, announced by the National Weather Service (NWS) San Francisco office on Wednesday, emphasizes increased danger to unhoused individuals, sensitive populations, pets, and vital crops across urban and agricultural sectors. Such a pronounced cold is rare for the region, with the potential to affect health, local food supply, and infrastructure.
The alert impacts a sweeping area including the Marin Coastal Range, North Bay Interior Valleys, San Francisco Bay Shoreline, East Bay Interior Valleys, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Clara Valley and East Bay Hills, Santa Lucia Mountains, the Salinas and Carmel Valleys, parts of Monterey County, and other nearby regions. The watch is in effect from late Thursday night through Friday morning, specifically between 1 a.m. and 9 a.m. on January 9…