Hailstorms Turn Bay Area Neighborhoods Into Wintry Postcards
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- An unseasonably cold storm front rolled into the Bay Area early Monday, unleashing heavy downpours and pounding hailstorms that turned driving in the Oakland hills into a treacherous commute.
Helicopter video showed traffic at a standstill in the hills near Oakland's Skyline High as a coating of hail on street sent several vehicles sliding out of control.
A KPIX 5 viewer tweeted this picture of a kid attempting to sled down a hail-covered hill in the Oakland Hills.
Not something you see every day! This would be hail in the #EastBay THANK YOU to @mediagrunt for sharing this picture of what looks like someone "sledding" down the street? @KPIXtv #OaklandHail #OaklandHills pic.twitter.com/IK2WuMAtz2
— Neda Iranpour (@NedaNews8) April 16, 2018
In nearby Alameda, a hailstorm covered the police department's parking lot and several neighborhoods. Authorities were reporting numerous weather related traffic accidents across the Bay Area.
Oh you know, just another typical Monday morning...
— AlamedaPD (@AlamedaPD) April 16, 2018
Tips on driving while it's hailing:
• Turn on your low beams & reduce speed.
• Allow extra distance between cars.
• The impact of hail is greater on moving objects, reduce the risk of damage & pull off the road. pic.twitter.com/oFOE1eRdKN
A hail storm rolled through #Alameda this morning leaving behind this rare sight. These photos are thanks to Jim Allison showing the hail sticking to the ground and on outdoor furniture. @KPIXtv https://t.co/eYiqLrwQ0j pic.twitter.com/FyvW7WrFPc
— Neda Iranpour (@NedaNews8) April 16, 2018
Hail also fell in the South Bay, as KPIX 5 reporter Jessica Flores recorded video hail falling at the Caltrain station in Mountain View.
Cloud dumping hail in Mountain View @NedaNews @KPIXtv pic.twitter.com/TihDyR0leW
— Jessica Flores (@JessFloresTV) April 16, 2018
Several other locations received small hail including San Jose, Monterey, Pacific Grove and many cities in Santa Clara County.
The low pressure system spinning off the coast sent wave after wave of potent storm cells into the region. A neighborhood may have clear skies at one minute and seconds later be drenched by rain and hail.
The National Weather Service said the snow levels would drop to as low as 3,000 feet through the day which would support some snow showers in the higher
elevations. A dusting of snow will be possible in the Bay Area peaks with light accumulations possible in the Santa Lucia Mountains of Monterey County.
Forecasters predicted isolated thunderstorms with nearly a dozen detected off shore and heading into the Bay Area at around 8:30 a.m.