Flood, wind watches issued as weekend storm approaches Bay Area
The National Weather Service has issued flood and wind watches for parts of the Bay Area, as a strong storm is set to arrive in the Bay Area just in time for the weekend.
The first round of steady rainfall arrived overnight and was exiting the region to the east by around 7 a.m. Thursday. Rain totals ranged from under a half an inch to approximately an inch of rain, with the heavier precipitation concentrated in the North Bay. Parts of Marin County and Sonoma County hit the one-inch mark since the system moved into Northern California.
Forecasters said scattered showers are expected to continue Thursday into early Friday. Additionally, a High Surf Advisory will be in effect in coastal North Bay including Point Reyes National Seashore, San Francisco Peninsula Coast, Southern Monterey Bay and Big Sur Coast from 1 p.m. Thursday to 4 a.m. Friday.
On Friday evening, a strong low pressure system will arrive in the Bay Area, bringing significant rain and strong winds into Saturday.
The highest rain totals from the stronger system are expected in the North Bay, with 2-3 inches of rain expected in the valleys and 3-5 inches of rain in the higher elevations.
As for the rest of the Bay Area, the coastal ranges are expected to see 1-2 inches of rain, San Francisco is expected to see 1.5-2 inches, while areas of the East Bay, South Bay and Monterey Bay should expect 0.5 to 1 inch.
A Flood Watch is set to go into effect for Marin, Napa and Sonoma counties starting at 2 p.m. Friday. It was initially set to remain in place until 4 p.m. Saturday, but on Thursday afternoon was extended an additional 24 hours until 4 p.m. Sunday.
Flooding will be possible near streams, creeks and rivers, along with low-water crossings during that period.
The Flood Watch in the North Bay is in addition to a Coastal Flood Watch that is in effect through 1 p.m. Monday for the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay shoreline and North Bay valleys.
The Weather Service has also issued a High Wind Watch for coastal areas of the North Bay from 7 p.m. Friday through 7 a.m. Saturday. For coastal areas south of the Golden Gate, the watch is in effect from 4 a.m. through 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Under a High Wind Watch, forecasters said strong south winds of 30 to 40 mph are possible, with gusts of up to 50 mph.
Following the weekend storm, the Bay Area is expected to see a break in the rain on Sunday, with another rain system expected to pass through the region on Monday into early Tuesday.
