More rain, gusty winds sweep through Bay Area ahead of a brief period of clearing
The second round of rain this week arrived in the Bay Area on Friday with gusty winds and additional chances of thunderstorms in the region before another storm arrives this weekend.
The National Weather Service said in its daily forecast discussion that the first band of rain and showers would push through the region from the early morning to roughly 10 a.m. The rainfall triggered a flood advisory for northwestern Alameda County and western Contra Costa County, which expired at 8:30 a.m.
KPIX First Alert Weather: Current conditions, alerts, maps for your area
Overnight and early Friday, the cold front dropped a thin blanket of snow on some of the region's highest peaks, including Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County and portions of the Central Coast's Santa Lucia Mountain Range.
Later Friday, the Weather Service said the convergence of three air masses - warm, cold, and occluded fronts - will create unstable atmospheric conditions around noon, with some relatively intense but short-lived rain showers. Forecasters said there was a 10 to 20% chance of thunderstorms during the brief window around noon as the system's moisture band was narrow and fast-moving.
Wind gusts across the Bay Area were expected to be more intense than previously forecasted. Wind advisories were in effect Friday morning with southerly gusts as high as 45 mph across portions of Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties.
The gusty winds and rain were expected to taper off in the afternoon, shifting to westerly and diminishing back to 20 to 30 mph gusts behind the front. The afternoon was expected to be chilly and breezy as the skies begin to clear before the sunset Friday.
Saturday is forecasted to be chilly with much lighter wind and plenty of sunshine. The next storm system will arrive on Sunday, with much less impacts and no significant flooding threat, the Weather Service said.
