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The Bay Area is bracing for another winter weather event this weekend, with widespread rainfall and winds expected to start start Sunday afternoon and last into early Monday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Jeff Lorber, a meteorologist with the NWS, said Redwood City could expect 1 to 2 inches of rain from Sunday to Tuesday, with gusty southerly winds reaching 30 to 40 miles per hour.
“It's nothing really unusual for this time of the year,” he said. “We’re well into December, and at this point it’s typical that we do see these atmospheric river events.” He added that, though they don’t expect any record-breaking rain, “it will be an impactful event.”
Forecasters predict that the storm could bring 1 to 3 inches of rain in most urban areas, with 4 or more inches likely in the North Bay. The most affected areas will be where the storm front stalls, though Lorber said they’re not expecting as much rainfall as during the season’s first major atmospheric river in late October.
Lorber warned of “possible local urban flooding, small stream flooding” in areas with poor drainage. Forecasters also advised about the potential for rockslides, particularly in areas where wildfires have burned recently.
According to PG&E officials, the storm may cause power outages in the Bay Area starting Saturday. The company said thousands of workers are ready to restore power and are already clearing vegetation from power lines to minimize the outage risk. Using a storm prediction model to estimate where impacts will be the worst, PG&E is able to position crews for a more efficient emergency responsiveness.
"This strong storm has the potential to cause power outages due to significant rain, gusty winds and heavy snow in the mountains," said PG&E director of meteorology and fire science Scott Strenfel in a statement. "We're urging our customers to have a plan to keep themselves and their families safe."
Lorber said forecasters aren’t expecting widespread power outages, but “high winds along with moist soils” could cause trees to topple power lines, resulting in isolated blackouts.
According to PG&E, ongoing droughts weaken vegetation, increasing the likelihood of trees falling on power lines. PG&E will be tracking burned areas where debris flows could damage electrical equipment, company officials said.
Lorber encouraged residents to prepare for the storm by securing loose objects, such as garbage bins, disposing of debris or other things that could clog easily and cause localized flooding. He also advised people to look out for updates, and possible wind or flood advisories, by following NWS on Twitter, Facebook and their website.
"We want everyone to take this event seriously, and heed any warnings from local authorities or from the weather service,” he said.
Before the wet weather arrives, the region is expected to see cold temperatures on Friday and Saturday morning, with the potential to drop into the upper 30s and 40s in Redwood City. The North Bay and southern Monterey County likely to be the coldest areas in the greater Bay Area, according to the weather service.
PG&E customers can track outages on the company's website at https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/outagecenter/.
Customers can search by individual addresses, in 16 languages, and can also receive outage notifications by text, email, or phone.
Bay City News contributed to this report.
