Record heat scorched the Bay Area this week, but cooler temperatures and the marine layer are on the way.

Sep 10, 2026

Updated 11:12 am PT

People play in the water at Crissy Field Beach in San Francisco on Sept. 9, 2026. Temperatures reached over 90 degrees in parts of San Francisco on Wednesday. The Bay Area’s heat wave broke records this week, but forecasters say cooler weather is around the corner.
 (Nina Glick/KQED)

This week’s heat wave caused four Bay Area cities to break daily high records on Wednesday, and forecasters expect at least one more day of above-average heat this week.

San Rafael reached 104 degrees, downtown Oakland soared to 97 degrees, San Francisco’s airport flew to 94 degrees, and Half Moon Bay peaked at 83 degrees, said Nicole Sarment, a Bay Area National Weather Service meteorologist.

Wednesday’s temperatures were 10 to 20 degrees above normal for this time of year, though Sarment noted that September is the hottest month for most parts of the region. And according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the country experienced its hottest meteorological summer on record, while California set a record for its warmest August average temperature.

People congregate at Crissy Field Beach in San Francisco on Sept. 9, 2026. Temperatures reached over 90 degrees in parts of San Francisco on Wednesday. (Nina Glick/KQED)

A customer uses a water-spray fan at Bi-Rite Creamery in San Francisco’s Mission District on Sept. 9, 2026. Temperatures reached over 90 degrees in parts of San Francisco on Wednesday.

People lay in the shade at Dolores Park in San Francisco’s Mission District on Sept. 9, 2026. Temperatures reached over 90 degrees in parts of San Francisco on Wednesday.

For the rest of the week, Sarment forecasts temperatures to drop slightly on Thursday and decrease by around 10 degrees on Friday, dipping a couple of degrees each day after. Some spots, like the interior East Bay and the furthest reaches of the North Bay, could still reach into the triple digits on Thursday. 

“It may be hard to tell, but we already kind of are cooling off,” Sarment said. “It will be in the 90s, and the city may be up to 80. It’s still going to be warm. I don’t want to undersell that, but we’re not expecting it to be as hot as it was yesterday.”

Sarment said Bay Area residents should also be on the lookout for wildfire starts because of the heat, dryness and potential winds as the weather pattern slowly changes.