Brief bouts and gloomy gusts of rain covered the Bay Area on Christmas Day, but residents found a bit of warmth in family and faith, even as the ongoing threat of COVID hovered over the holiday for the second year in a row.
The giant organs at Oakland’s Cathedral of Christ the Light boomed Saturday morning as the last few stragglers came in from the rain for the 11 a.m. Christmas Day service. Some people sat with their families in the long wooden pews, while others sat alone, leaving space for social distancing.
Angela Robinson Piñon was there with her husband of 23 years and their four sons. She said the cathedral isn’t their regular parish, but they came to admire the beautiful building and hear the music. They planned to open presents and have a family dinner in the evening, including phone and video calls with family: “Sometimes we travel,” Angela said, “but this year we’re staying local.”
While the Bay Area saw mild showers and occasional downpours, the storms were continuing to bring worrisome conditions to the Sierra and threatening to linger through mid-week, according to the National Weather Service.
“We’re seeing some brief heavy rainfall, small lightning and a little bit of gusty wind as well,” meteorologist Roger Gass said Saturday morning.
Off-and-on rains were expected to continue through mid-week, with temperatures due to fall slightly Monday before a cold blast chills the region.
“An even more reinforcing wave of colder air is forecast to move in late Monday into Tuesday. We’re really expecting the colder temperatures for overnight lows dropping into the 30s for most of the Bay Area, including the city of San Francisco and Oakland,” Gass said. “North Bay valleys could see low to upper 30s, and probably going to drop into the upper 30s with low 30s to potentially upper 20s up in the north.”
After Wednesday evening, clearing conditions should bring drier weather with sunny to partly sunny skies and southerly and westerly winds leading into the first week of next year.
Conditions in the Sacramento valley and east Sierra foothills look just as wet as the Bay Area, but less safe for travel, meteorologist Anna Wanless said Saturday.
“We are expecting low elevation, rain and mountain snow to continue through at least the first half of the week. For the rest of this holiday weekend through Monday, we’re going to see the most rain and mountain snow,” Wanless said.
“So really what we’re trying to really emphasize is that we’re really discouraging travel up into the mountains through at least Monday. There could be blowing snow which would lower visibility and just not great road conditions. We know a lot of people come from the Bay Area up towards Lake Tahoe. so we’ve just really been trying to push: If you don’t have to travel up to the mountains, don’t.”
A winter storm warning in effect through Tuesday morning means those who do head to the slopes can expect not just travel delays and chain controls, but road closures and white-out conditions above 1,000 feet. But by mid-week, conditions are expected to ease, Wanless said.
“Later this week is really going to be the better time to travel. We’re really gonna kind of see a break at least through Friday. There’s a slight chance of showers Thursday, but it’s definitely doesn’t look to be as impactful as this current system. But then again, there is uncertainty being a few days out from that, but we’re obviously monitoring it. But if people can hold off on travel till probably mid week that would be what we recommend.”
Rain showers are increasing in coverage as of 7 AM this Christmas Day across the Bay Area with lightning, small hail, & brief heavy downpours reported. Showers & isolated t-storms to progress southward across the remainder of the Bay Area & Central Coast into the afternoon. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/DTgl4MZogk
— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) December 25, 2021
Band of moderate to heavy band of rain showers moving into the San Francisco Peninsula as of 8 AM PST. Lightning also detected just off of the San Mateo Coast moments ago. #SanFrancisco #BayAreaWX #CAwx pic.twitter.com/ttXoT41Mrx
— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) December 25, 2021
The Christmas Day forecast is looking to be a busy one. You can expect heavy mountain snow with difficult mountain travel conditions to continue and periods of valley rain along with isolated valley thunderstorms. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/25paAhara5
— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) December 25, 2021
Mountain travel is highly discouraged through Monday. Be prepared for chain controls, lengthy delays and the possibility of low visibility. Follow the forecast at https://t.co/WjKBsJDVhA and check road conditions before you go at https://t.co/6jnhwJNN7a #CAwx pic.twitter.com/KiJkEcrK1x
— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) December 25, 2021
Staff writer Harriet Rowan contributed to this report. Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180.
Source: www.mercurynews.com