Bay Area, California Shatter Winter Temperature Records

Unseasonably warm weather hits the region, with Oakland and San Jose measuring their warmest winter days ever.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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A high-pressure system centered over Baja California steered storms away from the Southwest and allowed the air mass to bake beneath it, shattering February temperature records across the Bay Area and California. Oakland reached 83 degrees and Half Moon Bay hit 79 degrees, breaking the highest temperatures recorded in those cities in any month of meteorological winter, while San Jose set a new daily record of 79 degrees.

Why it matters

The historic late-February warmth is part of a broader trend of warmer winters across the West due to climate change, with California's winter temperatures now an average of 1 to 3 degrees warmer than in 1970. This has significant implications for the region's water resources, agriculture, and ecosystems.

The details

On Friday, Oakland reached 83 degrees and Half Moon Bay hit 79 degrees, breaking the highest temperatures recorded in those cities in any month of meteorological winter, which runs from December through February. San Jose set a new daily record Saturday, reaching 79 degrees. San Rafael's high of 78 degrees Friday and Richmond's high of 78 degrees, tying a daily record. San Francisco topped out at 76 degrees Friday and 75 degrees Saturday, with the city's first 75-degree readings of 2026 coming nearly a month earlier than a typical year.

  • On Friday, Oakland reached 83 degrees and Half Moon Bay hit 79 degrees.
  • On Saturday, San Jose set a new daily record of 79 degrees.
  • On Friday, San Rafael's high was 78 degrees, and Richmond also measured a high of 78 degrees, tying a daily record.
  • On Friday, San Francisco topped out at 76 degrees, and on Saturday it reached 75 degrees.
  • December 2025 through February 2026 was the 2nd warmest winter on record for the Contiguous U.S.

The players

Baja California

A high-pressure system centered over Baja California steered storms away from the Southwest and allowed the air mass to bake beneath it.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

According to NOAA, Falcon Dam, Texas, hit 106 degrees Friday, marking the highest winter temperature ever recorded in the U.S.

Climate Central

According to Climate Central, California's winter temperatures are an average of 1 to 3 degrees warmer now than in 1970.

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What they’re saying

“December 2025 through February 2026 was the 2nd warmest winter on record for the Contiguous U.S. according to Prism climate data. The widespread record to near record warmth in the west easily outweighed the cool temps in the east.”

— Climatologist49 (@climatologist49.bsky.social)

The takeaway

The historic late-February warmth in the Bay Area and California is part of a broader trend of warmer winters across the West due to climate change, with significant implications for the region's water resources, agriculture, and ecosystems. This underscores the need for continued action to address the impacts of a changing climate.