Bay Area storms could bring less intensity but more consistency
The rain wasn’t expected to let up the day after storms throughout the Bay Area were powerful enough to potentially help knock out power for nearly 20,000 people, though forecasters expected less intense — albeit more consistent precipitation on Tuesday.
In an early morning bulletin, the National Weather Service called the rain showers it expects on Tuesday “lingering,” as low-intensity rain was predicted to hang around for much of Tuesday for the entirety of the Bay Area.
Dalton Behringer, an NWS meteorologist, said that the current forecast is “trending a bit drier” for the Bay Area, but the period to watch will be tonight and Wednesday morning. He said that showers will then linger into Wednesday night before clearing out the next morning. In the latest 24-hour rainfall totals, Mount Tamalpais received 2.71 inches of rain, followed by San Rafael at 1.61 inches, Mill Valley at 1.35 inches, and Novato at 0.94 inches.
Commuters should still take heed of warnings in regard to wet roadways on Tuesday morning despite the lower intensity of the rainstorms as slick conditions were still expected. While small rises in creeks and streams are possible, flooding was not anticipated to be a factor.
The lighter rain Tuesday could be all but a ramp-up for a more intense Wednesday, the NWS said. The midweek storms, likely the last before the holiday weekend, have carried a massive likelihood of instability, meaning chances of thunderstorms and rocky weather have increased. Predictions showed much higher rain totals Wednesday — as much as one inch of rain in San Jose, Livermore and Concord.
Marin IJ reporter Cameron Macdonald contributed to this report.
More rain is expected today and tomorrow, tapering off by Thursday. Slight chance for tstorms also in store for today and tomorrow. Additional rainfall today into tomorrow may result in nuisance roadway flooding, so be sure to use caution when driving! #CAwx pic.twitter.com/tH9Qx8X9en
— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) December 19, 2023