Next Bay Area Storm Packs Plenty Of Rain, 3-4 Inches Possible In Wettest Locations
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) -- Most of the Bay Area has already received an inch of much-needed rainfall over the past three days. We will likely double our rain totals, as the strongest storm we will see this week moves closer to Northern California.
This storm will bring in tropical moisture, which will help the rain fall steady to heavy at times starting around sunrise Tuesday. The rain will continue throughout the day, tapering to showers Tuesday night and Wednesday.
There will also be gusty winds, especially at the coast and higher elevations. We also carry a slight risk of a thunderstorm as the weather system makes a close pass Tuesday morning.
As for how much rain will fall, here are our predictions (Tuesday through Wednesday evening):
- NORTH BAY: 1"-3" new rainfall
- EAST BAY: .75"-1.5"
- SAN FRANCISCO & PENINSULA: 1"-2"
- SOUTH BAY: .50"-1.5"
- SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS: 2"-4"
There is a decent likelihood that we will be above-average when it comes to rainfall for this water year (which started on July 1). This is excellent news, but our drought began three years ago, so a lot more rain needs to fall before the drought is done.