Rain Expected to Return to the Bay Area This Week

Cooler temperatures and wet weather forecast after a warm Easter weekend

Apr. 7, 2026 at 11:12pm by Ben Kaplan

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A sweeping, atmospheric landscape painting in muted tones of grey, blue, and green, capturing the vast, sublime scale of the natural world as it dwarfs the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in the distance, obscured by heavy fog.The impending storm clouds over the Bay Area signal a shift towards wetter, cooler weather after an unusually warm spring.San Francisco Today

The National Weather Service is predicting a significant shift in the weather pattern for the San Francisco Bay Area this week, with cooler temperatures, increased cloud cover, and the likelihood of light to moderate rainfall from Thursday through the weekend. Rain totals are expected to range from a quarter-inch along the bay shoreline to up to an inch in higher elevations, along with the potential for thunderstorms, especially in inland areas.

Why it matters

After an unseasonably warm Easter weekend, the return of rain and cooler temperatures will be a welcome change for many Bay Area residents. The rainfall is also expected to provide some drought relief, though longer-term forecasts suggest more wet weather may be on the way in the coming weeks.

The details

According to Weather Service meteorologist Rachel Kennedy, daytime highs will drop from the 80s over the weekend to the upper 70s by mid-week, with coastal areas reaching only around 60 degrees. The rain is expected to arrive on Thursday and continue through Sunday, with the highest chances for thunderstorms on Friday afternoon, especially in the East Bay, South Bay, and Central Coast regions.

  • During the Easter weekend, temperatures topped out in the 80s in several locations.
  • By mid-week, daytime highs will be in the upper 70s in most areas and near 60 along the coast.
  • On Thursday and Friday, more areas around the region will start dropping into the 60s and low 70s.
  • Rain is expected to return to the forecast on Thursday and continue through Sunday.
  • The potential for thunderstorms peaks on Friday afternoon.

The players

Rachel Kennedy

A meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

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What they’re saying

“'We are expecting a change in the pattern. It's going to be pretty substantial.'”

— Rachel Kennedy, Meteorologist

“'And that's when rain starts to return to the forecast. We're expecting light beneficial rain Thursday through Sunday.'”

— Rachel Kennedy, Meteorologist

What’s next

After the wet weekend, long-range indications are showing the possibility of more low-pressure systems moving through the region, which could bring more rain during the next couple of weeks.

The takeaway

The return of rain and cooler temperatures to the Bay Area this week will provide some much-needed relief from the recent warm and dry conditions, though the region may see additional wet weather in the coming weeks as well.