Another round of wet weather was expected to begin as early as Monday in the Bay Area, according to the National Weather Service.
In an advisory, the weather service said the first drops would likely fall in the North Bay. The forecast through Sunday calls for minor rain, with periods of moderate rain, from the North Bay to the Central Coast.
The weather service said it was not yet clear when those periods of moderate rain would occur.
San Jose and Livermore could receive up to 2 inches of rain, San Francisco and Concord up to 3 inches, and Santa Cruz up to 4 inches, according to the weather service.
The potential for debris flows in areas burned by wildfires appears limited since the rain will be spread out over many days instead of continuous heavy rain in a short timeframe, the weather service said.
The rain will bring other impacts, including the potential for flooding in low-lying or poor drainage areas. And rain-slicked roads coupled with increased holiday traffic could make driving more hazardous.
Despite the possible pitfalls, the rain is needed to help lift the Bay Area and state out of a devastating drought.
Recent “atmospheric river” storms have helped push rainfall totals well above normal. San Jose International Airport, for example, has received 4.85 inches since Oct. 1, the start of the water year. That’s 147 percent of normal for that time period.
San Francisco and Oakland international airports are at 206 percent of normal, having received 11.24 inches and 10.98 inches, respectively, during that time period.
Check back for updates.
Source: www.mercurynews.com