The ever-thirsty Bay Area was quenched last month in record-breaking rainfall for the season, a much-needed relief for residents after this year’s drought and fire season.
And the fun isn’t over yet, according to the upcoming seven-day forecast by the National Weather Service, as light showers have been predicted throughout this week, and starting early next week, an atmospheric river storm is expected to drench the North Bay.
"Definitely not the system that we had in the month of October," said meteorologist Matt Mehle with the National Weather Service Bay Area office. "But another round of beneficial rain to the Bay Area."
The showers Wednesday night and into Thursday morning are expected to be relatively light, with the heaviest amount likely to be about a tenth or quarter inch of rain in the higher terrain of the North Bay, said Mehle.
A cold front also blew in, with a thick layer of fog settling in on the Bay Area Wednesday morning. The weather service issued a warning to drivers to “Use your low beams, drive slowly and follow at a safe distance on the roads,” until the fog burned off at 9 a.m.
There’s then a slight chance of rain Saturday in the North Bay, but that system looks like it will mostly skirt the Bay Area, with the main event, the storm, expected to hit Monday and Tuesday.
"The attention turns to a stronger and more buoyant system," he said. "That has the potential to have some atmospheric river characteristics to it."
Although the storm is weaker than the one in October, there is still a chance for flooding to occur. "That’s something we’re going to be watching closely," he said.
While October was a record-setting month for rainfall in the area, this type of rain is not unusual for November, and is typical for the Bay Area. But right now the six to 10 day forecast shows above normal precipitation for California.
Looking ahead to the coming season, Mehle is skeptical that the state will continue to see above-average rainfall. "It does not appear to be an overly wet winter," he said.
But after this past year, the office is enthusiastic about the rain so far, and the rain to come. "We’re all rejoicing here," he said, about the storm door "staying open," meaning that even though the systems are weak, the fact that they keep coming is a good sign.
"At this rate any rainfall we can get is beneficial," he said.
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