The Bay Area is gearing up for a major weather shift as forecasters from the National Weather Service in San Francisco lay out a timeline for what’s shaping up to be a powerful atmospheric river event. According to theNational Weather Service, a major change is on the horizon, with heavy rainfall expected to hit the North Bay by Wednesday, potentially lasting through the weekend.
As the skies clear from recent showers, which saw most locations tallying a scant 0.02-0.08 inches of rain, coastal areas are now bracing for a significant weather event that could bring substantial rainfall. The National Weather Service stated that there will be 3-7 inches of rain in the North Bay from Wednesday to Sunday and up to 11 inches locally in the far North Bay coastal ranges. The coming storm is anticipated to more than double the intensification needed to classify it as a ‘bomb cyclone,’ a meteorological term that signifies a rapid pressure drop indicating a strong storm. Yet, the term’s technical specifics carry less weight than the potential real-world impacts, which could include flooding.
The heart of the storm will affect the North Bay hardest, where saturation from persistent rainfall could lead to flooding. The atmospheric river, steering a potent mix of moisture and energy straight into Northern California, is setting the scene for two distinct periods of heavy precipitation one beginning Wednesday and another commencing Friday into Saturday with the passage of a secondary cold front that could impact areas beyond the North Bay. “The biggest uncertainty with this system is how far south upper level jet sets up,” theNational Weather Serviceadded, highlighting the variable nature of these powerful weather phenomena.
This bout of stormy weather was foreshadowed by a Freeze Warning issued for interior parts of the North Bay and the Central Coast and a Frost Advisory for the Santa Cruz coast and Watsonville areas, where temperatures could dip to 34 degrees. Looking southward, the Santa Cruz region through to the SF Bay is anticipated to receive significantly lesser rainfall totals, generally between 0.5-1.0 inch, and even less as one moves further south past Monterey and Salinas. “The silver lining for most of our area is that this is the first major storm of the season, and soils should be able to handle at least the initial rainfall,” theNational Weather Serviceoffered, pointing to one mitigating factor in the impending downpours.
Marine conditions will similarly reflect the storm’s increasing intensity, with a Small Craft Advisory issued along specific coastal zones in anticipation of rougher seas and heightened winds. Bay Area residents, especially those in the more vulnerable North Bay, are advised to stay tuned to the latest weather updates as this potentially serious situation develops.
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