New Rain Threat For Soggy Bay Area Hillsides
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – There was a popular 1980s song with the refrain – "Here comes the rain again."
It may also be a mantra for Northern Californians this week as three fast-moving winter storm fronts were poised to deliver rain from late Wednesday through Sunday.
While the National Weather Service has yet to issue any warnings for the Bay Area, the rain totals for the seven days beginning Wednesday could reach more than 5 inches in the Santa Rosa area to more than 4 inches for San Francisco and San Jose.
Any additional rain will bring with it threats of minor flooding in Wine Country and also mudslides in the water-logged Santa Cruz Mountains.
Cleanup and repairs from flooding and road washouts from last week's stormy weather was still underway Tuesday.
Weather service forecasters said if there was a silver lining to the stormy outlook, it was that the storm fronts are fast-moving and shouldn't stall over the Bay Area.
Forecasters said the storms will have moderate to heavy downpours but also include respites.
The Wednesday storms was forecasted to bring an inch for the lower elevations and 2-3 inches for the coastal hills.
The storm coming in Thursday night would be a carbon copy of the first front – quick-hitting with similar rain totals though Friday.
Skies will clear on Saturday in time for the women's march in San Francisco, but precipitation will return early Sunday morning.
Again the totals would be an inch for the lower elevations and 2-3 inches for the coastal hills.
In the Sierra, the storms will dump another several feet of snow. A winter storm warning was issued of the Lake Tahoe area beginning Wednesday until Thursday afternoon for above 5,000 feet.
Accumulations of up to 17 inches were expected above 7,000 feet with snow totals of up to a foot at the 5,000 foot level.
Similar conditions were forecasted for the Friday and Sunday storms.