Community Corner

Foster City Could Get Snow for First Time in 35 Years

Snow is predicted at high altitudes around the region – and there's even a 50-50 chance of snow at sea level. If you do see snow this weekend, why not send us some pics of the fun?

If you’re lucky this weekend, you’ll stick out your tongue and catch a snowflake.

Low-falling snow may tempt our Mediterranean-climate-loving selves to play hooky on Friday, Bay Area meteorologists are saying.

From the Santa Cruz Mountains to the Mt. Diablo range, from Sonoma Mountain to Mount Madonna, meteorologists predict snow will falling on anything above 1,000 feet Thursday night.

Find out what's happening in Foster Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

There's a chance Foster City could see snow tonight or Friday night for the first time since about 1976 as a cold storm passes through the Bay Area, a National Weather Service forecaster said.

Rain has been dampening the Peninsula throughout the day and is expected to continue into the night, with lows in the lower 40s anticipated, forecaster Diana Henderson said. Winds of about 5 to 10 mph are expected later today, and will likely increase to 10 to 20 mph tonight.

Find out what's happening in Foster Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

And later in the night, Foster City and the rest of the Peninsula may receive a dusting of snow, she said.

By Friday night, scattered precipitation could deliver snow at sea level in some spots – depending on when the really cold temperatures arrive.

“It has to be the right combination of factors, in just the right sequence,” said Jan Null, meteorologist with Golden Gate Weather Service. “First, you need the cold air, then the precipitation, not just cold rain.”

The last time the right combination came together on this scale was 35 years ago – Feb. 5, 1976, to be precise, when a broad cold front brought snow all over the Bay Area. Before that, a cold front on Jan. 15, 1962 brought less than an inch of snow. (Smaller dustings are more common; Skyline Ridge was briefly blanketed with snow only three years ago.)

The heaviest precipitation is predicted to arrive in the Bay Area today and should be over before the very cold air mass arrives, potentially bringing snow to lower elevations. The experts give this a 50 percent chance of happening.

“The temperatures are going to be the bigger story after that,” said Null. He expects a hard freeze on Saturday morning to Sunday, with lots of 20-degree readings across the Bay Area.

Still, on Friday morning you could very well see Mt. Tamalpais – at 2,400 feet – fully covered with snow, Null said. Closer to home, high points anyplace along the Santa Cruz Mountains, which range from 1,000 to 3,000 feet, are likely spots for snow.

Places above 2,500 feet could be covered in more than six inches of snow, said National Weather Service forecaster Charles Bell.

In fact, “We could see a mix of rain and snow at elevations as low as 500 feet,” Bell said this morning.

On Saturday, Foster City is expected to be partly cloudy with a chance of showers and snow showers. Highs in upper 40s and winds of 5 to 10 mph are anticipated.

Clear skies with highs in the mid-50s are expected on Sunday.

A snowy landscape is bound to draw visitors – but if you’re planning on visiting the snow, authorities ask that you watch out for hazards, including black ice, and equip your car’s tires with chains where appropriate. Other advice includes increasing the distance between vehicles, checking that windshield wipers are working, and the most obvious one: slow down.

Even for those just going to work tomorrow, “We recommend you have a back-up plan if you go over mountains for your commute,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Steve Anderson.

If you do find yourselves in some snow this weekend, Patch would love it if you uploaded or emailed photos from the excursion. Send your snow stories and photos to sarahy@patch.com.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here