Weekend storm to deliver widespread rain, big waves

The second and more powerful of a pair of storms marching toward Northern California is expected to deliver widespread rain Sunday to the Bay Area and create hazardous conditions along the shorelines, with an increased risk of rip currents and likely the biggest waves of the year.

Following a weaker storm Friday, a stronger and wetter system should deliver rain throughout the Bay Area on Sunday, with the heaviest downpours in the North Bay, according to the National Weather Service. Estimated rainfall totals for Bay Area cities include 2 inches in Santa Rosa, 1.5 inches in San Francisco, 1.25 inches in Oakland and two-thirds of an inch in San Jose.

The storm Sunday also will create dangerous conditions at Bay Area beaches, where large, breaking waves of 25 to 40 feet are expected, with some locations reaching or exceeding 50 feet, according to the weather service. Beachgoers should also be aware of an increased risk of rip currents and sneaker waves, beginning Sunday. Sneaker waves “are large waves that seem to come out of nowhere” and “can catch you off guard and quickly pull you into the ocean,” the weather service said.

“It’s a reminder the ocean is incredibly powerful and will display some of that power” beginning Sunday, said Drew Peterson, a meteorologist with the weather service.

Since Oct. 1, rainfall totals across the Bay Area include San Francisco at 4.31 inches (71 percent of normal); Oakland at 3.76 inches (75 percent); San Jose at 2.34 inches (68 percent); and Mountain View at 1.47 inches (46 percent).