After an unseasonably warm December, the Bay Area is ringing in the new year with freezing temperatures.
According to the National Weather Service, interior parts of the region were expected to fall into the mid-20s to mid-30s by Monday morning. A frost advisory was issued for much of the Bay Area, and a freeze advisory was in effect for locations south of Monterey.
Residents were advised to take necessary steps to protect plants, pets and pipes from the cold weather. Freezing temperatures can cause pipes to freeze, and can endanger the lives of animals and people. Plants sensitive to cold weather are also at risk from a hard freeze.
The coldest temperatures were slated to occur in interior locations farther from the San Francisco Bay and the ocean. Temperatures in Livermore and Concord were expected to drop to 32 and 34 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively. In San Francisco, meanwhile, the low was forecasted to remain a relatively balmy 41 degrees.
Farther to the east, in the Sierra Nevada, cold temperatures brought snow to the mountains over the weekend. The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab on Sunday morning reported it had received 13.6″ (34.5 cm) of snow in the previous 24 hours and 25.6″ (65 cm) in the last week.
The lab was at 51% of median snowfall to date and more snow is expected Tuesday and Wednesday.
Chain controls were in effect Sunday morning in parts of the Sierra.