The unsettled weather isn’t over yet. Following a weak system that brought light rain to the South Bay on Wednesday, a second upper-level storm will drop down the California coast and push through the Bay Area on Thursday, bringing scattered storms with brief downpours , small hail and even a few snowflakes.
This system will carry a pocket of cold air aloft, dropping freezing levels to between 2,500 and 3,500 feet above the Bay Area on Thursday morning. That will set the stage for two key impacts. The cold air will allow for light snowfall or flurries on the higher peaks of eastern Santa Clara County, including Mount Hamilton and Mount Isabel, which should have a light dusting of snow visible by Thursday afternoon. More substantial snow amounts will fall across the Sierra Nevada and mountains around Los Angeles where winter weather warnings are in place.
- Live storm map: See where rain is hitting California and Bay Area
The cold air at lower altitudes will also help fuel thunderstorm development, particularly across the South Bay and Santa Cruz on Thursday morning and into the afternoon. Any storms that do develop will be capable of heavy downpours and small hail.
San Francisco and the rest of the Bay Area have a lower chance of seeing pop-up storms, but those regions are not entirely in the clear. If the upper-level low moves more slowly than expected, isolated storms could develop over the city by Thursday afternoon. However, the best chances for storms will likely shift toward the Central Coast by Thursday afternoon and evening as the system tracks south.
By Thursday night, cold air will continue filtering in, prompting freeze watches in areas north of the Bay Area, including Ukiah. A shallow marine layer will settle over the Bay Area, providing some insulation and keeping overnight temperatures from dipping below 40 degrees in most locations.
Thursday breakdown
San Francisco: Isolated showers will be possible around the city in the morning, with a few producing small hail. Rain chances will drop off as the day goes on, giving way to a mix of sun and clouds by the afternoon. Highs will be in the upper 50s. Skies will clear out overnight, though some low-level haze could develop, keeping overnight temperatures in the low to mid-40s…