How Likely Are Thunderstorms Today?
KPIX 5 Morning Weather Anchor Roberta Gonzales answers the questions you never get to ask on-air.
Q: Roberta, how much rain has fallen today and how hard did the winds blow? Is it all over? Will we really see a thunderstorm? - Bill Kemp, Mill Valley
A: The main thrust of the cold front has passed, but we have the potential of a very active afternoon ahead!
First off, rain has been plentiful as the main band of energy associated with this cold rolled through the Bay Area during the morning commute. Preliminary rainfall amounts have ranged from .50 in Danville to 1.29 at Richmond City Hall. Los Gatos has reported 1.07 inches of rain and Santa Rosa has picked up .75 in the rain bucket. The other side of the coin has been today's gusty winds. Mt. Diablo reported a wind gust of 53 mph, and lower, closer to sea level, Oakland International Airport saw a 40 mph gust, Corte Madera had 33 mph and Treasure Island was also windy this morning with 39 mph winds.
Here is the interesting part…while the main front has passed through the Bay Area, in it's wake, the atmosphere is destabilized resulting in a lot of unsettled conditions! This means, while we see sunny breaks with the "bluest of skies," at any point a thunderstorm containing small hail can and will develop. Scattered shower and rainbows are in the afternoon forecast and I haven't seen mentioned - SNOW!
The Mt. Hamilton Camera (Ham Cam) has been socked in with clouds, but I have been monitoring the air temperature holding at 32 degrees. More than likely, when the clouds clear, a snow capped Mountain will stand tall above the Santa Clara Valley.
My favorite photo of the day was sent to me by Eric Simonson of Pacifica. He placed buckets from the garage drip line and retrieved about 90 gallons of water. Good job Eric! Intuitive and imaginative on this wet (but very welcomed) Tuesday!
I would love to hear from you! Please send weather questions, observations and photos to me, Gonzales@kpix.cbs.com and I look forward to hearing from you!
