‘Atmospheric river’ delivers robust rainfall

An “atmospheric river” storm that hit the Bay Area on Thursday did not disappoint and delivered robust rainfall totals across the region, which allowed many cities to erase early-season deficits.

The slow-moving storm fueled several daily records for rainfall on Nov. 16, according to the National Weather Service. Topping the list was Oakland, which recorded 1.87 inches of rain Thursday. Santa Rosa (1.53 inches), Concord (1.49), Napa (1.4), Hayward (1.33), Livermore (1.15) and Moffett Field (1.08) also set daily records.

The wettest location was a station in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Boulder Creek that recorded 4.88 inches, according to the weather service.

As the Bay Area looks forward to a clear weekend before the next chance of rain arrives late Sunday, here’s a look at Thursday rainfall totals for select cities.

• Atherton, 1.62 inches

• Castro Valley, 1.91

• Concord, 1.89

• Danville, 2.06

• Fremont, 1.31

• Lafayette, 3.68

• Los Altos Hills, 1.92

• Mt. Diablo Peak, 3.89

• Novato, 1.18

• Oakland, 2.06

• Palo Alto, 1.50

• San Carlos, 1.75

• San Francisco, 1.70

• San Jose, 0.72

• San Rafael, 1.30

• Saratoga, 1.26 The Sierra Nevada also received substantial precipitation, with most stations measuring between 4 and 8 inches, according to the weather service.

The storm also delivered enough rain to allow San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Rosa and other cities to surpass their averages for this time of year. Before the arrival of this week’s storm, rainfall totals throughout the Bay Area were below-average for the season, which began Oct. 1.

Thanks to this rain season’s first atmospheric storm, most cities are now above average, including Santa Rosa (4.90 inches, 113 percent of normal), San Francisco at 2.63 inches (101 percent) and Oakland at 2.75 inches (113 percent).

San Jose remains slightly below its rainfall average at 1.30 inches (83 percent).

This weekend, clear skies with temperatures in the low to mid-60s are expected across the Bay Area, according to Steve Anderson, a forecaster with the weather service.

“Typical fall weather,” Anderson said. “Cool, crisp. Football weather.”

Monday will deliver another chance of rain across the Bay Area, but it’s not an atmospheric river storm, the weather service said.

LAURA A. ODA — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Parishioners and students from St. Joseph’s Elementary and High Schools brave the rain to watch the blessing of the newly installed bell tower cross at St. Joseph Basilica in Alameda on Thursday.