New NorCal storm system brings widespread rain, outages
OAKLAND, Calif. - A new storm system in California brought widespread rain and high-elevation snow, all of which should begin to clear up by late Tuesday morning or early afternoon.
The atmospheric river was much needed for the drought-stricken state, and caused much less damage than last month's storm, when trees toppled and roads flooded.
Still, trees fell down in water-logged areas, from Point Reyes to Lafayette.
Still, Comcast customers lost power Monday night and high winds were gusting throughout the Bay Area. Los Gatos topped out at winds gusting 73 mph at its peak, according to the National Weather Service.
In the last 24 hours, parts of the North Bay received about 1.5 to 2.5 inches of rain, the weather service showed.
PHOTOS: 'Bomb cyclone' storm slams Northern California
In Petaluma, homeowners and business owners set down sandbags.
Jim Sides said he loved the wet weather.
"The more rain the better," he said. "I know there are a lot of people flooded, and I have a lot of empathy for them, but overall its great we're getting all this rain. Maybe things will work out and we'll get out of this drought relatively soon, you never know."
The rain should dry up by Tuesday morning, forecasters said, and temperatures should hover in the mid-60s.
The weather service predicts the next storm system might arrive on Nov. 17.
Comcast outage impacts Bay Area during strong storm
Comcast's internet and television service have been interrupted to an unknown number of its customers, but the outage appears to be widespread. Comcast has not yet commented about the problem, so it is unclear if it is related to the heavy rain and strong winds hitting the Bay Area.