A heat wave that has led to record-setting temperatures in the Bay Area for mid-March continued Thursday, though slightly cooler weather is expected to arrive by the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

Record temperatures for the date of March 19 had already been set in several parts of the region as of Thursday afternoon, including downtown San Francisco, San Jose, the Oakland Museum of California, San Rafael, Redwood City, Richmond, and Salinas, meteorologist Rachel Kennedy said.

Temperatures were expected to reach the mid 90s in inland locations and the 80s along the coast, according to the weather service, which has issued a Heat Advisory that is in effect for the Bay Area and Central Coast through 8 p.m. Friday.

“We’ve got at least one more day of hot weather in store for Friday, then will start to see temperatures go down this weekend,” Kennedy said.

A moderate HeatRisk is expected Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 20, 2026 with temperatures well above normal in the San Francisco Bay Area. To mitigate your risk: drink plenty of water or sports drink, do not leave children, the elderly, or pets in unattended vehicles, take frequent breaks in air conditioning or shade, and shift activities outdoors to cooler times of the day. (NOAA via Bay City News)

Forecasts are for a drop of 5-10 degrees in high temperatures around the region on Saturday and an additional 5 degrees or so on Sunday, though temperatures going into next week are expected to still be above normal for this time of year, according to the weather service.

Dan McMenamin is the managing editor at Bay City News, directing daily news coverage of the 12-county greater Bay Area. He has worked for BCN since 2008 and has been managing editor since 2014 after previously serving as BCN’s San Francisco bureau reporter. A UC Davis graduate, he came to BCN after working for a newspaper and nonprofit in the Davis area. He handles staffing, including coaching of our interns, day-to-day coverage decisions and management of the newswire.