Bay Area Storm: Thousands still without power as winds expected to calm Wednesday
Most urban centers were forecast for less than one-tenth of an inch of rain Wednesday, while some higher elevation areas could see some snow.
After Tuesday was marred by high-intensity winds that left thousands of Bay Area residents without power, Wednesday was forecast to see calmer winds accompanied by scattered rain showers and perhaps some snow in high-altitude locations, according to the National Weather Service.
More than 150,000 Pacific Gas and Electric Company customers were without power at 10 p.m. Tuesday, the company said in a blog posting. Far less outages appeared to be reported on the company’s outage map Wednesday morning. However, large clusters on the Peninsula and in the Santa Cruz Mountains remained without power as of 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.
As wind gusts neared 50 miles per hour in parts of the Bay Area Tuesday afternoon and evening, trees toppled throughout the region blocking roads and taking out power lines. One such incident took place on the westbound stretch of the Bay Bridge near the Yerba Buena Island Tunnel, blocking several lanes and snarling traffic, according to the California Highway Patrol. As of 5 p.m., four of the five lanes were open again. The CHP estimated the fifth lane would remain closed until about 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Whoa!!!
Tree down on the Bay Bridge blocking the Yerba Buena Tunnel – expect delays if you are tryin to get into San Francisco.
This is the upper deck heading into the city.#kpix @KPIXtv pic.twitter.com/EXRixf4oEZ— Ryan Yamamoto (@RyanKPIX) February 21, 2023
Winds were expected to calm, relatively, Wednesday. Wind gusts upwards of 28 mph were expected in the morning, but NWS projections showed diminishing speeds in the afternoon as scattered rain showers were predicted for much of the region, but no more than one-tenth of an inch of rain was forecast for most urban centers.
More precipitation was expected Wednesday in higher elevation areas, such as Mount Diablo and the Santa Cruz Mountains, with even a chance of light snow in areas higher than 1,500 feet.
Lots going on today with gusty winds, scattered rain showers, snow in the higher elevations, and even a thunderstorm or two. More impactful snow arrives for the mountains on Thursday into Friday. Keep up with forecast changes and travel safely! #cawx pic.twitter.com/ydwZCbgx0g
— NWS Bay Area
(@NWSBayArea) February 22, 2023
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.