First Alert Weather: Plunging Temperatures Sends Big Chill Through Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - A bitter cold weather system settled over the San Francisco Bay Area early Wednesday, plunging temperatures to the high 20s and 30s, threatening early blooming crops and forcing homeless residents to find heat any way they can.
The National Weather Service has issued frost and freeze warnings in the Bay Area. In Santa Rosa, the temperature dropped to 25 degrees Wednesday morning, breaking the record low temperature for the day of 29 degrees set back in 2007 & 2019.
"Temperatures plummeted to some of the coldest readings for the 2021/2022 Winter, especially the in North Bay Valleys and Salinas Valley," the weather service said. "Widespread 30s with colder locations in the 20s. The coldest observation in the forecast area was Santa Rita Peak (San Benito County) with a low of 19 degrees."
Forecasters also issued a warning about the effects of exposure to the cold temperatures.
"This string of cool days and cold nights is potentially hazardous for sensitive populations without adequate sheltering," the weather service warned. "With cold weather arriving, make sure to remember the four Ps of preparation for people, plants, pets, and pipes...Frost and freeze conditions will kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing."
KPIX 5 First Alert Weather: Current Conditions, Forecasts, Alerts For Your Area
Amid the cold snap is the genuine concern for the unhoused. Wednesday marked the beginning of Santa Clara County's Place in Time count of the homeless. In the pre-dawn hours, through creek beds and under tarps, the census of the unhoused was on for the first time in two years.
"This count is so essential to our ability to get an idea of who's experiencing homelessness so that we can cater our services to be part of the solution," said Laura Sandoval of People Assisting the Homeless (PATH).
With his breath condensing in the frigid morning air, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo acknowledged the urgency of getting shelter for those on the streets, especially in this weather. "We're out here for a few hours, but our residents are living here. Inadequate shelter - sometimes in sleeping bags, sometimes not. It's a horrible existence and we have got to do more to get our residents out of these tents, out of the creeks and into housing."
In San Francisco authorities were dealing with an early morning tragedy at a homeless encampment. While the cause of an encampment fire that claimed one life and sent three others to the hospital was still under investigation, temperatures were in the 30s at the time of the blaze.
San Francisco firefighters also contained an early morning one-alarm blaze in an apartment building on Sacramento Street that erupted behind a wall heater.
Snow flurries were reported before dawn in the Oakland hills and there was a dusting of snow on the Bay Area's higher peaks.
With the cold kicking in, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District warned residents to read the manufacturer's instructions on their space heaters and furnaces to prevent a carbon monoxide or fire tragedy.
"Make sure it's well maintained, in the case of space heaters. Don't use them near — common sense, but don't use them near any flammable objects, bedding curtains, things like that," said spokesman Steve Hill. "Any heating device that you use in your home has the potential to emit carbon monoxide if it's not properly vented. Carbon monoxide is a silent killer."
At San Jose's Grand Staircase on Communications Hill Boulevard, denial about the cold snap reigned supreme with exercisers and walkers. Among those in denial about the mercury, Q.A. Nguyen, who was out for a walk with his dog Bahn Mi and wearing shorts.
"Because it's the Bay Area and it doesn't get that cold. I'm already burning up right now. Aren't you? I could use another layer, man," he told KPIX 5.
Overnight lows in San Jose are expected to hit freezing again, though Lala Woodbury, a native of Denmark, deemed the chill lovely.
"This is a beautiful day in Denmark. Blue sky and everything else, you can't complain. Is it a cold day in San Jose, though?" said Woodbury. "It's chilly. It's chilly and what I would say more is that it was so warm just a week ago."
Andria Borba contributed to this report.
