Warm temps mark the ‘unofficial’ first day of summer
Those puzzling ‘May Gray’ weather days are behind us — at least for now. The Bay Area marked Memorial Day — the “unofficial” first day of summer — with clear skies and warm temperatures, setting the scene for a sunny week ahead.
Though no records were broken, temperatures reached 96 degrees in Gilroy Monday, 95 in Livermore and Concord and 91 in San Jose. In Oakland, highs reached 81 degrees and in San Francisco, 77.
The Bay Area will see a “cool down,” of sorts, around Thursday, when the return of a sea breeze will cause temperatures to dip into the mid-70s and low 80s, according to the National Weather Service.
“We’re pretty much in summer mode now,” said Meteorologist Steve Anderson.
The welcomed heat made for especially great weather on Memorial Day, when families brought out the grills and beer coolers to enjoy the outdoors after a few weeks of unusually gray skies.
At Central Park in Santa Clara, dozens of families walked dogs, rode bikes, barbecued and watched children run around the playground.
Anna Wong, of Sunnyvale, chased her infant daughter, Kristie, around as she explored the spacious park.
“I bring her here at least once a week,” said Wong, 31. “It’s great for the kids. They can run around and play with the flowers and the grass.”
Renee Becker, of Santa Clara, took a stroll with her fluffy black dog Riley, before work Monday.
“It’s fun to get her out,” she said. “She gets excited about the park.”
But Becker said she’ll miss the gloomy, gray skies that were seen throughout the Bay Area in recent weeks — the cause of onshore flows that had pulled clouds and cooler temperatures inland.
“The heat coming makes me feel like, ‘uh oh — here comes summer!’” she said. “I’m not ready!”
Anderson said we can expect to see the usual higher temperatures inland compared to cooler temperatures on the coast.
“It could be sunny and warm inland but we’ll still have the coastal clouds and fog which is normal for this time of the year through October,” he said.
Santa Clara County on Monday also warned the public about an increase in mosquitoes and ticks because of the warm temperatures. Officials with the Vector Control District advised people to get rid of any stagnant water in their homes and to be vigilant of ticks, particularly in the wilderness.