Holiday may be headed for heat at record highs

Turkey may not be the only thing hot on Thanksgiving Day in the Bay Area.

A warming trend that started Tuesday is expected to stretch into Friday, and forecasters say it will send temperatures in some parts of the Bay Area soaring to near 80 degrees.

On Thanksgiving Day, the temperature in San Jose is expected to reach the high 70s and flirt with a record for the day of 79 degrees set in 1959, according to the National Weather Service. Gilroy’s temperature is also forecast to climb to the upper 70s, possibly breaking a record of 79 degrees for the day set in 2015.

“A lot of the record highs for this time of year are only in the mid-70s, so we could see recordbreaking temperatures,” said Steve Anderson, a meteorologist with the weather service in Monterey.

Anderson said the weather will be balmy throughout the Bay Area, with temperatures ranging from 65 to 75 degrees. Wednesday is likely to be the hottest day in the area.

In downtown San Francisco, Anderson said, the temperature on Thursday should be around 70 degrees. The record for a Nov. 23 is 75 degrees set in 1995. In the East Bay, temperatures in downtown Oakland, Concord and Livermore will be in the mid-70s.

The unusually warm weather is due to an area of high pressure that is building, creating light offshore winds and cutting off the usual windchill from ocean breezes. Temperatures should drop a few degrees on Friday, Anderson said, and return to the mid-60s in most areas over the weekend.

The weather in the Sierra is expected to be relatively mild through Thanksgiving, but those traveling in the area on Sunday should keep a close eye on the forecast, said Scott McGuire of the National Weather Service in Reno.

“Some forecast models are showing a (snow) storm coming down Sunday afternoon and evening,” McGuire said. “If you are planning on traveling Sunday, the earlier you leave the better, and people need to check back on the forecast.”

He said that it doesn’t look like a major storm is brewing, but it could cause problems on one of the biggest travel days of the year as people return home from the holiday.

“Even if we just get a quick inch up on the passes Sunday afternoon or evening, it’s going to cause major traffic issues,” McGuire said. “So people just need to keep watch.”