Bay Area walloped by powerful storm, more wet weather ahead
It Has Arrived!
The storm has lived up to its expectations! Anywhere from an inch of rain to nearly 4.5 inchs of precipatation has accumulated so far today in the Bay Area. Highest wind recorded was at Cobb Ridge in Lake County at 63 mph. The High Wind Warning has allowed to expire with the Wind Advisory in effect until 3 PM as well as a Flood Advisory for SF, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. A Beach Hazard Alert is in effect until Friday night for waves peaking at 18 feet and sneaker waves. Spotty showers late this afternoon through the evening with an isolated showetr on Friday. Highs in the 60s.
OAKLAND, Calif. - A powerful Pacific storm swept across the Bay Area on Thursday, bringing heavy rain, damaging winds, and widespread travel disruptions. The atmospheric river–fueled system delivered some of the highest early-season rainfall totals the region has seen in years — helping push this November toward the record books.
Soaking Rainfall
Rainfall totals surged throughout the day, especially in mountain regions.
• Ben Lomond in the Santa Cruz Mountains reported over 5 inches of rain, the highest total observed in the Bay Area.
• Other high-elevation locations, including Bonny Doon, Mt. Umunhum and peaks above Los Gatos, received more than four inches.
• Portions of the North Bay also picked up several inches, especially across the coastal ridges and orographically favored slopes.
• Urban areas logged 1 to 2 inches across San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose.
With multiple storms hitting the region over the last month, November is shaping up to be one of the wettest Novembers in years, with some climate stations ranking it among the Top 10 wettest November-to-date totals.
Storm packs punch in South Bay
A strong atmospheric river brought steady rain and high winds to the South Bay. Drivers faced dangerous hydroplaning conditions on some roadways.
Damaging winds
Wind played a major role in Wednesday’s impacts.
• A gust of 63 mph was recorded at Cobb Ridge in Lake County.
• Exposed ridgelines in Marin County saw wind gusts near 80 mph, according to PG&E.
• Valley locations saw gusts between 35 and 55 mph, enough to down branches, topple weakened trees, and cause hazardous driving.
Widespread power outages
The combination of saturated ground and powerful winds caused significant power outages across the Bay Area.
• At peak, thousands of PG&E customers were without electricity.
• The North Bay and Marin County saw the most widespread outages, with downed trees and wind-triggered equipment failures from gusts approaching 80 mph.
• Additional outages were reported in the Santa Cruz Mountains, East Bay hills, and portions of the Peninsula.
PG&E crews worked overnight and into Thursday to fully restore service.
Are FEMA flood insurance maps accurate?
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is giving the public 90 days to review and consider Sonoma County’s Todd Creek alternative to a federal flood insurance map.
More rain on the way
The break will be short-lived.
A new Pacific system arrives Saturday afternoon, with rain developing first in the South Bay and Central Coast before spreading northward in the evening.
This next storm is weaker, but will bring steady, occasional rain, cooler temperatures and breezy winds through the weekend, adding to already impressive monthly totals.
Looking ahead
The active storm pattern continues into next week, with more systems possible. With the ground now saturated, even moderate winds in upcoming storms could lead to additional downed trees, localized flooding, and scattered outages.