Rain, gusty winds to spread and intensify across Bay Area as storm barrels through region
By Carlos E. Castañeda
A fast-moving storm system is bringing widespread rain and a chance of thunderstorms to the Bay Area on Monday, with showers pushing south from the North Bay through the morning and intensifying by early afternoon.
The National Weather Service said in its daily forecast discussion that rainfall will increase in coverage and intensity through the afternoon and into the evening, combined with wind gusts of up to 35 mph in higher terrain, and up to 45 mph in the higher terrains of the Central Coast.
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Residents should expect a wetter and potentially hazardous evening commute that could include brief urban flooding, lightning, small hail, erratic winds, and the possibility of waterspouts near the coast, the Weather Service said. Anywhere from a quarter-inch to 1.5 inches of rain is expected in lower elevations, while the higher elevations could see 1 to 3 inches of rain.
There is a marginal risk for isolated flash flooding, primarily in areas prone to rapid runoff during heavy downpours. The Central Coast is expected to see the highest rain coverage and isolated thunderstorms later in the day.
The storm is also expected to dump a significant amount of snow in the Sierra. The Weather Service issued a winter storm warning until 5 p.m. Wednesday with 1 to 2 feet of snow expected at elevations of 6,000 to 7,000 feet, and up to 3 feet of snow at higher elevations.
In the Bay Area, daytime highs on Monday will be in the low to mid-60s across the region, with overnight lows mostly in the low 50s.
Tuesday will remain unsettled, with lingering showers and thunderstorm chances as the system moves out, bringing colder temperatures. San Jose could approach a daily record low maximum temperature at 63 degrees, compared to the historic low of 62 degrees set in 1948. Far interior regions of Monterey and San Benito Counties east of Highway 101 may see near-freezing temperatures and widespread fog overnight, raising concerns for patchy frost and black ice in sheltered areas.
After this cold, wet spell, a brief period of warmer and drier weather is forecast to arrive Wednesday through Saturday, although unsettled, rainy conditions are expected to return by Sunday, according to recent model projections.
