Changing weather:

Weekend rain in the Bay Area to be lighter than first expected

Weather forecasters said Thursday this weekend’s anticipated storm system will bring in less rain to the Bay Area than expected.

“We were looking for the storm to strengthen over the Vancouver area to a larger degree, and it looks like it’s not going to do that,” Drew Peterson, a meteorologist with the National Weather service, said of the storm that is coming from the Gulf of Alaska.

San Francisco and Oakland will see about half an inch of rain during the next few days and the South Bay will probably receive even less, he said.

The storm could bring an inch of rain to the North Bay, particularly in the areas that were burned by last month’s wildfires, but it’s unlikely, Peterson said. He forecasts about twothirds of an inch for the North Bay.

“Most of the moisture is not hitting the North Bay,” he said.

Rain showers will begin in the Bay Area on Friday morning, with the bulk of the rain on Saturday into Sunday, Peterson said.

“All along, we’ve been saying the confidence levels on the amounts of rain have been low,” Peterson said. “I’m not really surprised to see all this backing off now.”

Temperatures throughout the Bay Area also will start cooling as the rain arrives in the region.

San Francisco and Oakland will remain relatively balmy Friday, in the low 60s, before temperatures drop to the mid- to upper- 50s for Saturday with overnight highs in the 40s. Temperatures will stay in the mid- 50s on Sunday and Monday.

The North Bay will remain at about 55 degrees.

San Jose will be slightly warmer, about 60 degrees throughout the weekend.

Because precipitation levels are expected to be low throughout Northern California, Peterson said that less snow is expected in the Sierra.

Through Monday, Donner Pass and Echo Pass will receive a total of about 18 inches of snow and Tahoe City will get 3 inches, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.

winter storm watch has been issued for the northern Sierra from Friday night to Sunday, meaning gusty winds and slick, snow- covered roads.

After the rain dwin- dles Monday, Peterson said, another storm system will move into the Bay Area near the end of next week.

“It’s on the horizon,” Peterson said, though he added that it’s unclear how much rain there will be.

“Most of the moisture is not hitting the North Bay” Drew Peterson, meteorologist, National Weather service