Unusual heat burst hits Vacaville, Oakland Hills
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- An unusual weather phenomenon called a heat burst took place in the Bay Area overnight that left many people asking, "What in the world is happening?" Well, here's the answer.
Just before midnight, a sudden heat spike in Vacaville caused the temperature to increase from 86 degrees to 95 degrees in just a matter of minutes.
A few hours later, at 5 a.m., a similar spike was recorded in the Oakland Hills, where the temperature went from 73 degrees to 85 degrees in a matter of minutes.
Immediately, after a nighttime thunderstorm, there is often a sudden downdraft of cool, dry air. As the air descends, it compresses and rapidly warms up. The result is a sharp temperature increase, or heat burst, like the ones recorded overnight in Vacaville and the Oakland Hills.
Thunderstorms occur only infrequently in the Bay Area; but, when they do, they generally leave us a lot to talk about.
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