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While much of the United States<\/strong> is enduring scorching heat<\/strong>, Berkeley<\/strong> is experiencing its coldest summer in over 25 years<\/strong>. According to the National Weather Service<\/strong>, temperatures across the Bay Area<\/strong> in June and July<\/strong> have been well below normal<\/strong>, making this season the coolest since 1999<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In sharp contrast to the heatwaves hitting large swaths of California and the country<\/strong>, the East Bay<\/strong> remains stubbornly cool, wrapped in thick marine fog<\/strong> and steady ocean breezes<\/strong>, caused by a stationary atmospheric pattern<\/strong> off the coast.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n On a breezy but sunlit Wednesday afternoon<\/strong>, J.C. Riley<\/strong> took a walk through Ohlone Park<\/strong> around 3 p.m.<\/strong>, guided by a quick KCBS Radio weather update<\/strong>. Normally an early riser, Riley hasn\u2019t ventured out between 6 and 7 a.m.<\/strong> since early June<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been so decidedly cold that it\u2019s just not the weather I want to be out in,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Wearing a red jacket layered over a sweater<\/strong>, Riley, in her 80s, doubled her clothing<\/strong> to fight the morning chill. \u201cIt just seems odd,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Not far away, Xanthe Miller<\/strong> was stretched out on the grass, soaking up rare sunlight<\/strong> while reading a book. A fan of warmer weather<\/strong>, Miller admitted she\u2019s spent far more time indoors<\/strong> than expected this summer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI was really hoping for a warmer summer, but I haven\u2019t gotten it,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s been really cold and windy<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n An aerial view of San Pablo Park<\/strong> captured its basketball courts and grassy fields<\/strong> sitting quietly under a blanket of coastal fog<\/strong>, a scene that\u2019s become a daily reality for Berkeley<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rick Canepa<\/strong>, meteorologist at the National Weather Service office<\/strong> in Monterey<\/strong>, said the lingering chill is thanks to a \u201cconsistent combination\u201d<\/strong> of upper-level troughs<\/strong> and northwest winds<\/strong> from the ocean.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In simple terms: cold air above<\/strong>, cold ocean below<\/strong>, and a steady breeze in between<\/strong>. In Berkeley<\/strong>, that wind typically picks up by late morning<\/strong>, drawing in fog and cool, damp air<\/strong> from the Pacific<\/strong>\u2014a sort of natural AC that hasn\u2019t turned off all summer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Daniel Swain<\/strong>, climate scientist at the California Institute for Water Resources<\/strong>, explained during a recent presentation<\/strong> that strong northwest winds<\/strong> push warm surface water<\/strong> away from the California coast<\/strong>, causing cold water to rise<\/strong>. That upwelling, he said, is largely behind the persistent chill<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis week has been especially cool not just for the Bay Area, but across much of California,\u201d Swain noted. \u201cPeople who\u2019ve lived here for less than 20 years may never have experienced a summer start quite like this.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That\u2019s true for Sahil Shah<\/strong>, who moved to Berkeley from Texas<\/strong> four years ago.<\/p>\n \u201cI carry a jacket everywhere,\u201d Shah said, while walking his dog in Ohlone Park<\/strong>, dressed in a black Nike sweater<\/strong>, a cap, and green sweatpants<\/strong>. He had envisioned short sleeves and summer clothes<\/strong>, not layers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Just last year, the statewide average temperature in July<\/strong> reached a record 81.5\u00b0F (27.5\u00b0C)<\/strong>, surpassing 2021\u2019s 79.8\u00b0F (26.6\u00b0C)<\/strong>. Forecasts for this summer<\/strong> had also predicted higher-than-average heat<\/strong>, particularly from July to September<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Swain acknowledged that those models were likely off the mark<\/strong>, at least for now. But he added, \u201cI\u2019m not convinced they won\u2019t still be right a month from now.\u201d<\/p>\n He expects the upwelling effect<\/strong> to weaken soon<\/strong>, allowing for warmer weather in August and September<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cI still think we\u2019re going to see that unusual warmth along the coast,\u201d Swain said. \u201cBut clearly, it\u2019s taking longer to show up.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meanwhile, residents like Shah are counting the days. He said this is the first summer he\u2019s ever dealt with congestion, sore throats, and headaches<\/strong>, symptoms he attributes to the constant dampness<\/strong>. His wife has even developed new allergies and migraines<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cJune<\/strong> was the worst,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd July is definitely worse than last year<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" While much of the United States is enduring scorching heat, Berkeley is experiencing its coldest summer in over 25 years. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures across the Bay Area in June and July have been well below normal, making this season the coolest since 1999. In sharp contrast to the heatwaves hitting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":6486,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n