Wet, windy storms set to buffet Bay Area
Two storm systems expected to arrive this weekend in the Bay Area could jostle the region with thunder, rain and hail, officials said Friday.
The first — and weaker — of the storms is projected to hit the region Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. The second storm should arrive Sunday and continue into Monday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds with gusts up to 45 mph in some spots. Thunderstorms are a possibility, and residents should look out for hail and even a light dusting of snow in the highest peaks.
Saturday is projected to have showers with breezy winds across the Bay Area, while San Francisco and Oakland could see anywhere from fifteenhundredths to onehalf inch of rain, said National Weather Service meteorologist Drew Peterson. Santa Rosa and Napa might receive one to twothirds of an inch of rain, while the coastal areas of the North Bay — Mount Tamalpais and Mount St. Helena — could see up to 1.5 inches of rain.
“Sunday’s storm is strong enough to produce sustained winds from 15 to 25 mph,” Peterson said. “But it’s the gusts you have to worry about,
and the gusts are potentially going to be ranging up to 45 mph as the storm moves through.”
Saturday’s temperatures are expected to be chilly across the Bay Area, with highs in the upper 50s to 60s and lows in the mid40s to 50s. San Francisco and Oakland could see about one to twothirds of an inch of rain Sunday, while the North Bay can expect twothirds of an inch or more in urban areas and an inch in coastal areas.
Temperatures for Sunday are expected to be a little cooler than Saturday, with highs in the 50s regionwide, before cooler conditions arrive around nightfall as the storm moves through the area.
The downpours will be beneficial considering the Bay Area is at about 45% of normal rainfall for the water year, officials said. The storms could help push back the start of the fire season, Peterson said.
Soggy and windy conditions might also provide an assist in maintaining the Bay Area’s shelterinplace orders, which require people to stay at home unless conducting essential activities.
However, gusts and heavy rainfall do pose concerns for emergency responses to the coronavirus. Peterson said the National Weather Service’s main concerns are the impacts to outdoor testing and drivethrough facilities.
“The main concern we’re having is the impacts to those sorts of facilities, especially in terms of the winds,” Peterson said. “Because if they’re just tents set up outside, if you get a wind gust, it could be enough to pick it up and flip it.”
The weekend storms could also bring the Sierra a decent amount of snow, up to 2 feet above 9,000 feet, which would help the state’s water supply, Peterson said.
High peaks in the Bay Area, he added, such as Mount Hamilton, Mount Diablo and Mount St. Helena, could also see light offerings of snow over the weekend.