Latest storm brings heavy rain, frigid temperatures, low snow levels to Bay Area, Central Coast

By Carlos E. Castañeda

The second in a series of Northern California storms was moving through the Bay Area and Central Coast on Tuesday, bringing rain, gusty winds, lightning, local snow and much colder temperatures through midweek.

The National Weather Service’s San Francisco office said in its daily forecast discussion that conditions will stay unsettled into the weekend, with another round of rain and wind likely, and the coldest nights expected late Thursday into Friday morning. 

Moderate to locally heavy rain was falling across the region on Tuesday, causing minor flooding in low spots and along hillsides where small dirt and rock slides are possible, the Weather Service said. A flood advisory was in effect until 1 p.m. Tuesday for most Bay Area counties, along with Santa Cruz County. The rain has been accompanied by winds with gusts of 15-30 mph in lower elevations and stronger gusts of 40–60 mph over higher peaks. 

An extreme cold warning was issued for inland portions of the Central Coast from midnight to 9 a.m. on Wednesday, indicating temperatures as low as 24 degrees. Other portions of the Central Coast, as well as the North Bay interior mountains and valleys, were under a cold weather advisory for the same time period, with temperatures falling as low as 34 degrees overnight. 

A winter weather advisory was also in effect for the Eastern Santa Clara hills and Central Coast mountains through 4 p.m. Wednesday. Snow levels around the region were dropping to around 3,000 feet, with a few inches of snow reported on Mt. St. Helena, Cobb Mountain, and Mt. Hamilton.

The storm has also produced scattered thunderstorms, with lightning strikes detected across the region along with reports of small hail, the Weather Service said. Lightning strikes in Santa Rosa closed two schools, including one where a tree was obliterated, and other where lightning hit a nearby power pole, knocking out power to the campus. 

Along the shoreline, a coastal flood advisory was in effect through 3 p.m. Tuesday because of spring tides combining with storm surge, producing minor high‑tide flooding around both San Francisco Bay and Monterey Bay.

Showers will remain possible tonight and into Wednesday, though rainfall amounts should generally be lighter than Tuesday’s main band of rain, according to the Weather Service. Skies could partially clear Thursday into Friday morning, which is when the coldest temperatures of the week are expected and additional cold weather advisories and warnings would be issued.

Another large pool of cold air over the Pacific is forecast to tap into ocean moisture by the weekend, bringing a new round of rain and wind to the region, the Weather Service said.