SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — A low pressure system swirling off the Northern California coast early Saturday morning sent waves of showers across the San Francisco Bay Area, dumping nearly an inch of rain in the North Bay.
The showers were a welcome relief after this week’s Drought Monitor revealed that extreme dry conditions were expanding across the North Bay.
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By dawn, the front had dumped more than .70 inches of rain in Santa Rosa, Kentfield, San Rafael and Napa. Mt. Veeder in Wine Country was the wettest spot in the Bay Area with 1.18 inches.
San Francisco had gotten .2 of an inch and Palo Alto .34 of an inch.
“It (the rain) started around midnight,” KPIX meteorologist Darren Peck said. “It’s nice to see the showers are getting everyone. It was widespread rain like a direct hit.”
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The storm front was moving quickly eastward, bringing clearing skies and warm temperatures by mid-morning, setting up a spectacular day for holiday gatherings on Sunday.
In the Sierra, travel will be difficult on Saturday leading to a picture perfect day of Spring skiing. The National Weather Service issued a Winter Weather Advisory to remain in effect in the Lake Tahoe area until 2 p.m. Saturday.
UPDATE: Turning traffic on EB I-80 at Kingvale, holding WB I-80 traffic in @TownofTruckee. Chain controls on all Sierra highways this morning. Expect significant delays for mountain travel. pic.twitter.com/JMQerk6KNg
— Caltrans District 3 (@CaltransDist3) April 16, 2022
“Total snow accumulations of up to 4 inches, except 6 to 12 inches along and west of Highway 89 above 6500 feet including Donner Pass,” forecasters said of the conditions. “Southwest winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 45 mph and waves of 2 to 5 feet on Lake Tahoe. Ridgetop winds will gust up to 100 mph at times.”
While the snow is a welcome sign, Peck said it was “too little, too late” to impact the water situation as we enter the dry season.
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“It pushes fire season back several weeks,” he said. “But by the time we get to July and August and more importantly, September and October, I don’t think the snow we are getting right now will make any difference. It’s too little, too late.”
Source: sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com.