Atmospheric river storm slams Northern California for 3rd day; flash flood warning in San Francisco
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for San Francisco Friday afternoon after police reported flooding in areas of the city.
The warning is in effect until 3:45 p.m.
The Weather Service said between 0.5 and 1 inch of rain has fallen and additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are possible in the affected areas. It said "life-threatening" flash flooding was already occurring as of 12:43 p.m. with possible impacts on creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.
"Move to higher ground now," the alert said. "Act quickly to protect your life."
This is a breaking news update. Previous story follows below.
A third day of an atmospheric river storm has inundated Northern California and the Bay Area, prompting a series of warnings and advisories about local flooding.
The National Weather Service issued a flood warning in Sonoma County for the Russian River at Johnsons Beach in Guerneville from 2 p.m. Friday until further notice. The warning also applies to the communities of Forestville, Monte Rio, and other areas near the river west of Guerneville. The river was expected to rise above flood stage late Friday evening and continue rising to 32.5 feet just after midnight.
North of the Bay Area, a flood warning was issued for several rivers in counties closer to the Oregon border, including the Russian River and Navarro River in Mendocino County, and the Mad River, Eel River, Van Duzen River in Humboldt County. Major flooding is expected along the Eel River affecting the communities of Fernbridge, Scotia, Bridgeville, Fort Seward, and Miranda.
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The city of Sacramento was forecasted to see a month's worth of rain in just 24 hours on Friday. The city averages about 1.78 inches of rain in November; from Friday into Saturday, the city is projected to see just over two inches of rain, adding to the already 1.29 inches of rain the city received this week.
The Sierra Nevada was projected to see whiteout and blizzard conditions as the atmospheric river turns into snow as it reaches higher elevations. While Thursday's storm brought mostly rain to the mountains, the snow levels will continue to drop through Friday and into the weekend.
The Weather Service said the prolonged rainfall in the North Bay will increase the risk of flooding, landslides, and downed trees and powerlines. Aside from the flood warning, a flood advisory was issued for all of Sonoma, Marin, and Napa counties until 3:15 a.m. Saturday because of expected minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas.
The ongoing storm prompted dozens of school closures in Sonoma County, closures that have increased since Wednesday. The county's Office of Education posted an updated list of closures on its website.
While the bulk of the Bay Area rain has been seen in the North Bay, rain chances will increase throughout the day across the Bay Area as a cold front works its way south and into the north Central Coast.
In addition to the rain Friday, southerly winds will increase ahead of the cold front across the Bay Area. The Weather Service also issued a wind advisory until 10 p.m. Friday for coastal and higher elevation regions of the North Bay, the city of San Francisco, the East Bay and Santa Clara Hills, the Santa Cruz Mountains and Peninsula coast, the Gabilan Range, the Santa Lucia Range, southern Monterey Bay, and coastal Big Sur.
Sustained wind speeds will range from winds 15 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected in higher elevations. Wind gusts greater than 65 mph are possible above 2,500 feet.
