After Saturday's fury, expect lighter rain showers today
Less intense system may keep Bay Area wet again Thursday
The fury began minutes past 5 a.m. Saturday. Winds whipped in areas of Contra Costa County, and the clouds above unleased driving sheets of pea-sized hail, then more rain, then more hail. It came with a roar and in slightly more than 30 seconds, it was over.
With that, the bell rang on a bit of fury that was similar throughout the region much of Friday night into Saturday morning. But like most bells that follow a fury, the second round of harsh and heavy rainfall in the Bay Area in 48 hours was expected to be followed by a break, then a “final push” late Saturday, the National Weather Service said.
By today, only scattered isolated showers are expected to remain, NWS meteorologist Nicole Sarment said. Another storm system that's far less intense may make its presence felt by Monday and Sarment said the region may not see a day without rain until Thursday.
Late Saturday morning,
The Alhambra High School baseball team takes part in the Martinez baseball parade on Main Street in Martinez on Saturday.
the fury lightened up enough that outdoor sports teams were able to get in some time lost during the wet week. At one point, the clouds even parted and sun peered through areas of the region.
“I thought we were going to be rained out for sure. I thought Main Street was going to flood,” said Siobhan Goldsworthy, whose son's team was among dozens marching in the Martinez baseball parade. “I kept waking up and rolling over
and hearing rain crashing down. I thought how are we possibly getting this parade in? But it worked out.”
In the Bay Area, more than 4 inches of rain fell at Mount Umunhum in the Santa Cruz Mountains and 2½ inches at Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County during the 48 hours that saw heavy storm activity. About 1¾ inches fell in Oakland during those 48 hours and 1½ inches in Concord and San Francisco, according to the weather service.
About a half-inch fell in San Jose.
“Lots of limbs down and a downspout came off,” Pleasant Hill resident Bill Duby said. “I need to check it more in depth.”
The Sierra Nevada received no real break. Interstate 80 remained closed at the Nevada state line and Colfax. Friday night, emergency personnel needed several hours and tow trucks to reach and help motorists who became stranded on Donner Pass, the California Highway Patrol said.
Highway 50 was open but snow tires were required from nine miles east of Placerville to Meyers, in El Dorado County.
A blizzard warning remained in effect until 10 a.m. today.