A reasonably potent storm system is predicted to hit Northern California early this week — doubtless dropping extra rain over the Bay Space than any level since April, whereas supplying the Sierra Nevada with a wholesome coating of powder.
Low-lying components of Bay Space — together with Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose — may obtain 1 to 1.5 inches of rain from late Sunday night time via Wednesday, whereas the coastal ranges may rise up to three inches of contemporary precipitation, in keeping with the Nationwide Climate Service. To the east, areas of the Sierra above 4,000 toes can anticipate one to 4 toes of snow, doubtlessly providing ski resorts an opportunity to start loading up with powder forward of the Thanksgiving vacation rush.
The direly-needed precipitation is owed to an upper-level low stress system that's anticipated to maneuver over Northern California over the following couple days.
The primary wave of rain is predicted to reach late Sunday afternoon over the North Bay and over the northern reaches of the Peninsula and the East Bay, earlier than sweeping south to San Jose shortly earlier than midnight Sunday. One other wave of heavier precipitation is predicted to hit early Tuesday morning.
The system may produce thunderstorms on Monday and Tuesday over the Bay Space, together with “copious” quantities of hail that might make journey hazardous, stated Roger Gass, a Nationwide Climate Service meteorologist.
Over the Sierra, the primary flurries are anticipated to start falling Sunday night time and proceed via at the very least Tuesday. At instances, the snow may fall at a price of 1 to three inches an hour — creating whiteout situations, particularly when coupled with winds which can be forecasted to succeed in 45 to 55 mph, stated Hannah Chandler-Cooley, one other Nationwide Climate Service meteorologist.
“We're extremely discouraging journey over the mountains over this time interval,” Chandler-Cooley stated.
The storm system comes as Northern California continues to reel from a historic, three-year drought that has confused forests, lowered reservoir ranges and prompted perpetual considerations about hearth exercise throughout the area.
This week’s rain and snow ought to assist alleviate these hearth considerations, at the very least quickly. However they’re only a “drop within the bucket” by way of making any affect on total drought situations, Gass stated.
Oakland has solely acquired 3.93 inches of rain since Jan. 1, whereas San Francisco has acquired simply 3.2 inches of rain since then — amounting to only a quarter of the 15 to 16 inches of moisture that each cities usually obtain by early November. San Jose has acquired simply 1.62 inches of rain in 2022, about one-sixth the roughly 10 inches that it usually will get by early November.
“We’ll take no matter we will get,” Gass stated.