Bay Forecast: Showers, Thunder, Hail and Late Spring Snow

We’re expecting a wild finish to the weekend as rain changes to scattered showers and thunder with some very chilly air aloft moving in. Cold, Winter-like air higher up will drop snow levels to the 3,000-4,000 ft. range by Sunday evening – but more importantly provide an component to helping hail production and possibly some strong thunderstorms at times. Some of the factors are there for severe weather: surface warming/moisture with very chilly, drier air higher up and if surface/mid-level winds align just right (S/SE winds at ground level with stronger W/SW winds higher up) we may have the potential for ‘rotating’ cells that can produce larger hail and possibly a brief funnel cloud. Things will turn unstable enough by early morning we may see some pre-dawn thunder, especially near the ocean/coastline, then with daytime heating the chances for thunder will increase over land by late morning and early afternoon. Showers/moisture should decrease by Sunday evening as we sit ‘in-between’ weather systems. More rain is likely later Monday afternoon into early Tuesday before skies clear and temperatures begin to rebound by Wednesday and Thursday. – Rob Mayeda