PG&E prepares for upcoming winter storm
SAN FRANCISCO - PG&E is stockpiling power equipment at its yards around Northern California in advance of a cold front that is expected to bring rain and wind to the region late Wednesday and into Thursday.
Most of the Bay Area is expected to see at least an inch of rain by the end of Thursday, with some areas of the North Bay and the coast of Santa Cruz and Monterey counties possibly seeing up to 3 inches, and wind speeds could reach 30-45 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
As a result, PG&E is stockpiling power poles, power lines, transformers and other electric equipment at its utility yards in preparation to restore power to customers who may lose it during the storm.
"As with any wintry weather event, there is the potential of power outages due to rain, gusty winds and mountain snow," PG&E meteorologist Evan Duffey said.
"Our meteorology team has been tracking this weather system and is coordinating with our electric operations to ensure the company is prepared to respond to outages."
In the event of an outage, people are advised to use flashlights not candles to avoid the chance of a fire, to have fresh drinking water and ice on hand, and to never touch downed power lines.
PG&E customers can report outages, look up the status of existing outages, or sign up for automatic outage notifications at https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/outages/alerts/alerts.page.
Amid the rainy weather expected in the North Bay, the Santa Rosa Fire Department is warning people located in and around the burn scar from the 2020 Glass Fire that the rain will bring an increased risk of flash floods or debris flows.
By Friday, most of the Bay Area is forecast to be dry besides possibly some early morning rain in coastal areas, but rain is expected to return by the weekend with most areas forecast to receive a half-inch or less, according to the weather service.
Temperatures are also expected to dip into the low to mid 30s in much of the region through Monday, leading to some frosty mornings, forecasters said.
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