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Bay Area will see brief break in wet weather before more torrential rains
Residents weary of rain and water-sogged basements will get a brief reprieve in the wet weather on Friday – only to be met with more storms throughout the weekend and beyond.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Residents weary of rain and waterlogged basements will get a brief reprieve in the wet weather on Friday – only to be met with more storms throughout the weekend and beyond.
National Weather Service meteorologist Brooke Bingamon said the sun will break through on Friday, although there may be a shower or two.
"Today, there's a bit of a respite," she said.
But that will be it for dry skies.
Over the weekend, the rain will resume and continue into next week. Heavy snow was forecast for the Sierra Nevada.
"A very active weather pattern across the Pacific Ocean will continue to push energetic and fast-moving low pressure systems toward the West Coast," the National Weather Service said. "California continues to take the brunt of the heavy precipitation and strong winds associated with these systems as we head into the first full weekend of 2023."
The storms are atmospheric rivers, long plumes of moisture stretching far out into the Pacific, and capable of dropping staggering amounts of rain and snow.
Here's a day-by-day breakdown of the rain forecast:
Saturday
The heaviest rains will hit the North Bay in the early afternoon. The rest of the Bay Area will get heavier rains about 4 p.m. and after. The rains will last through the night.
Sunday
The rains will continue through the afternoon, where there will be a break and some lingering showers.
Late Sunday about 10 p.m., the rains will start to get heavy again and last overnight.
Monday
"Monday is going to be especially rough," Bingamon said.
Heavy rains will last from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Bingamon said that the storms will likely cause more flooding, mudslides and damage because there is saturated soil and rivers are at near flood levels.
"There's nowhere for the water to go," she said. "Yes, there's elevated concern."
Tuesday
Lingering showers will continue through Tuesday afternoon and be much lighter than in previous days.
Wednesday through Friday
This will also bring a "wet pattern," Bingamon said, but the rain will be light to moderate.
The period of rain will continue through at least Jan. 20.
The storms won’t be enough to officially end the state’s ongoing drought, now entering its fourth year, but they have helped.
Not including the latest deluge, recent storms moved parts of the state out of the "exceptional drought" category in the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Most of the state, though, remains in the extreme or severe drought categories.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.