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Atmospheric river storm to bring rain to Bay Area after mostly dry January

Thursday evening First Alert weather forecast with Paul Heggen - 1-30-2025
Thursday evening First Alert weather forecast with Paul Heggen - 1-30-2025 04:37

Following a mostly dry January in the Bay Area, a wet weather pattern returns to the region beginning on the final day of the month.

"The storm door opens on Friday allowing for an atmospheric river to set up over the area," said a statement from the San Francisco office from the National Weather Service.

Forecasters said the weather system passing through the region on Friday and Saturday is the first of a series of systems.

According to CBS News Bay Area meteorologist Jessica Burch, rain is expected to start in the North Bay Friday morning, spreading south over the course of the day. Following a break late Friday, another round of wet weather will arrive in the Bay Area on Saturday morning, with periods of rain continuing through the afternoon.

The wet weather pattern is expected to continue early next week, with more rain expected Sunday and Monday.

By late Sunday, the wettest locations in the North Bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains may see more than three inches of rain. Over an inch and a half of rain is expected to fall over San Francisco, while San Jose is expected to see over half an inch.

In an update Thursday afternoon, the weather service forecasted 6-8 inches of rain in Cloverdale, 4-6 inches of rain in San Francisco and 2-3 inches in San Jose between Friday and Feb. 6.

Meanwhile in the Sierra, the upcoming atmospheric river is expected to bring much-needed snowfall to the mountains. Forecasters with the Sacramento office of the weather service said snow levels will begin at around 5,000 feet on Friday morning, then rising to 6,000-7,000 feet on Friday night.

Areas around Donner Summit could see "significant amounts" of snow this weekend, with higher peaks possibly seeing two feet or more. More snow is expected for the Sierra from Monday through Wednesday.

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