Bay Area, Monterey Bay atmospheric river to bring heavy rain, winds up to 60 mph
By Tim Fang
The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory for the entire Bay Area and Monterey Bay region, as an atmospheric river storm is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds starting Wednesday night.
Forecasters said the advisory would take effect at 10 p.m. Wednesday, continuing through 10 a.m. Thursday. Southeast winds from 15 to 25 mph, gusting to 50 mph is expected.
In addition, the Weather Service issued a High Wind Warning for coastal areas of the North Bay, San Francisco and the Peninsula. Winds are expected to range from 25 to 35 mph, gusting to 60 mph for these areas.
Officials warned damaging winds could lead to downed trees and power lines, resulting in property damage and possibly widespread power outages. Travel could be extremely difficult and hazardous, particularly for high-profile vehicles.
Ahead of the storm, residents are urged to secure loose objects that could be blown or damaged by the wind.
Along with strong winds, the upcoming storm is set to bring significant amounts of rain. The Weather Service said in its Wednesday morning forecast discussion that rain chances will slowly increase throughout the day on Wednesday, starting in the north and heading south.
The heaviest amount of rain will begin late Wednesday into early Thursday. Between Wednesday and 4 a.m. Friday, locations in the North Bay could see 1.25 to 5 inches of rain, while rain amounts in the East Bay could vary from 0.75 to 2.25 inches.
Meanwhile, locations in San Francisco, the Peninsula and South Bay should expect rainfall amounts ranging from 1.25 to 3.5 inches. In the Monterey Bay region, precipitation should range from 0.75 to 5.25 inches.
After the storm, expect unsettled conditions to continue with showers possible on Friday and into the weekend.
Elsewhere in California, the storm is also expected to bring widespread rain to the Sacramento Valley, along with snow to the Sierra Nevada. A Winter Storm Watch is in effect for Sierra elevations above 5,000 feet from 1 a.m. Thursday through 4 a.m. Friday.
