Despite overnight rain, December tracking to be among driest on record

For the first time in more than two weeks, rain fell overnight in the Bay Area, but the amount of precipitation recorded was minimal, and with no rain in the forecast through Sunday, December remains on track to be one of the driest on record in the region.

Rainfall totals were generally less than one-tenth of an inch, with as much as a quarter of an inch in some North Bay locations, according to the National Weather Service in Monterey. Elsewhere, Boulder Creek in the Santa Cruz Mountains recorded 0.24 inches, San Francisco 0.13 inches, San Carlos 0.10 inches, Danville 0.09 inches, Oakland 0.07 inches and San Jose 0.07 inches.

The storm system mostly cleared out before sunrise, according to the weather service.

The fast-moving cold front delivered the first measurable precipitation in the Bay Area since Dec. 3, when San Francisco recorded .03 inches. With no rain in the forecast through Christmas, this month is shaping up to be the fourth driest in San Francisco since 1849 and the third driest in San Jose since 1893.

The weather service is reporting a chance of rain on Christmas Day, though confidence in the forecast is low.

“There is no sign of an atmospheric river or pineapple expresstype storm,” said meteorologist Charles Bell, referring to storms that typically deliver the greatest amounts of precipitation to Northern California. “If we do see a storm, it would be similar to what we saw” Wednesday morning.

Wednesday’s storm system is expected to deliver 3 to 6 inches of much-needed snow to the Sierra Nevada. The snow pack, which got off to a good start thanks to several storms in November, stands at 30 percent of its historic average.

Although there is no rain in the forecast, much of the Bay Area is expected to experience freezing temperatures overnight Thursday, Bell said. The mercury is expected to drop below 33 degrees in most Santa Clara County cities, and some southern areas could see lows in the 20s.