Dry, cloudy forecast for New Year’s Eve
The weather is predicted to be dry, temperate and partly cloudy around the time when San Francisco’s fireworks kick off on New Year’s Eve.
“Right now it looks like it may be mostly cloudy early in the day, but in the afternoon and evening hours, partly cloudy,” said Charles Bell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Monterey. He said that the forecast is showing about 50 percent cloud coverage Sunday with “patchy clouds” around midnight, when fireworks are scheduled to start.
Though heavy clouds could obscure fireworks, Bell said that these light clouds would likely not pose visibility issues.
“For fireworks, getting a few clouds can be beneficial because you can get good reflections off the clouds, which may make the display even better,” Bell said.
The night should be relatively warm, especially compared with the brutally cold temperatures forecast for much of the country. In New York City, for example, it’s expected to be 11 degrees Sunday when the ball drops at midnight in Times Square.
It should be between 52 and 55 degrees in San Francisco on New Year’s Eve, Bell said. It may be a bit cooler in the East Bay, with temperatures ranging from the mid-40s to upper 40s.
No rain is forecast throughout the weekend.
Spare the Air Alerts have been issued for Friday and Saturday, which means that the burning of wood and solid fuels is banned. Those who have gas fireplaces can light fires, but otherwise, they’re off limits due to poor air quality.