California is bracing for a string of storms over the next week that is expected to bring the season’s first prolonged stretch of widespread stormy weather, with rain, wind, snow and big waves all arriving in the same run. The first storm could reach the North Bay as early as late Thursday night, with rain spreading up and down the state on Friday.
The biggest totals are expected far to the north. Up to six inches of rain could fall in the North Coast region over the next week, while the San Francisco Bay Area could pick up as much as two inches and Los Angeles is likely to get less than an inch. That makes the setup more of a soaking than a deluge, but it is still enough to mark the season’s first statewide push of wet weather.
Brian Garcia said Friday’s rain is the first real rain of the season for the Bay Area and warned that even modest amounts could turn the commute slick. He said people should expect slippery roads and said winds could be strong enough to snap branches from trees that dried out after the summer and early fall heat. Intermittent rain and blustery winds are expected in the Bay Area most of Friday, with the rain gradually sliding south and likely reaching the Los Angeles area by evening.
That weaker southward reach matters because the storms are not expected to deliver showstopping rainfall totals. Chad Hecht said, once the system gets down to Los Angeles, it is on the weaker end. Still, the storms have the potential to bring the first statewide soaking and strong winds, even as the flooding risk is predicted to remain low.
The most dangerous conditions may come after the rain, when the storms churn up the Pacific Ocean and send big waves ashore this weekend. Experts warned of hazardous beach conditions across California, especially in Northern California, where waves at Ocean Beach in San Francisco could top more than 40 feet and Mavericks could see surf of 60 feet or higher. Some Central California beaches could see waves of 25 feet, while Los Angeles and San Diego could see surf of eight to 12 feet.
People in California may welcome the rain because it should help replenish reservoirs and rivers and reduce wildfire danger, but the storm track also comes as the waters off the coast are unusually warm and El Niño continues to strengthen. California gets most of its annual precipitation over the winter, and strong El Niños have produced some of the state’s wettest winters. The next week should not bring a dramatic flood event, but it should bring the first real test of the wet season: roads slick, surf dangerous and enough rain to make clear that the pattern has turned.
