Mount Tam, Marin Hills Could See Snow Thursday Morning

Marin residents hankering for some snow might be wise to cast a glance high up on Mount Tam and the rolling hills west of Hwy. 101 Thursday morning, as a cold front and expected precipitation will lower snow levels to 1,200 feet in Marin, according to weather forecasters.

National Weather Service officials said that a cold front sweeping into the Bay Area late Wednesday warrant a frost advisory and freeze warning for Marin and much of the North Bay. The cold-weather system will linger for several days, a National Weather Service forecaster said.

"Temperatures will start dropping Thursday," forecaster Steve Anderson said Wednesday morning.

Daytime highs in the greater Bay Area are expected to be in the low 50s, and overnight temperatures will dip to about 35-40 degrees, he said. A freeze warning has been issued for the North Bay for Friday morning between about 2 a.m. and 8 a.m.

"The overnight lows are not too crazy-cold until you get out into the East Bay and North Bay valleys, where temperatures will be slightly below freezing," Anderson said.

Anderson said a storm system is coming down from the Gulf of Alaska, and could bring rain to the Bay Area Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

"Behind it, it's dragging cold air down from Canada," he said of the system.

The return of seasonally high King Tides Thursday and Friday morning could cause flooding in the usual trouble spots as well, weather officials said. Because of high tides that could reach as high as 7 feet, Caltrans has closed part of the Manzanita Park and Ride lot in Southern Marin through Jan. 14, blocking off nearly a quarter of the more than 300 parking spaces.

The skies will clear after Thursday, but the cold weather will linger through the weekend, Anderson said.

Anderson advised residents to make sure small outdoor pets have warm shelter, and to take precautions with plants that are sensitive to the cold.

"If they're potted plants, bring them inside if they're small enough, or throw a cover over them to keep the frost off if needed," he said.

Temperatures should begin to warm up by Monday, he said.

--Bay City News Service contributed to this report. Copyright © 2012 by Bay City News, Inc. - Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.

Do you do anything to prepare for extremely cold weather like the temperatures coming this week? Share in the comments below.