'Dragon' storm front brings showers back to the Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO -- A pair of weather fronts, swirling off the Pacific Northwest coast, sent bands of showers into the Bay Area Friday, bringing another dose of precipitation to the region recovering from 3 years of drought.
But unlike the nine atmospheric rivers that drenched the Bay Area over an epic 22-day span in late December and January, these storms will be nowhere near as intense.
Forecasters said an inch of rain will fall from Friday to Sunday.
While skies will start clear on Saturday night as hundreds of thousands gather in downtown San Francisco for the annual Chinese New Year parade, rain could fall later in the evening.
"Rain amounts will be measurable for most, but shouldn't be enough to cause any type of hydrologic concerns," the weather service said. "However expect wet roadways and slower commute times this morning. Rain should be mostly out of the Bay Area by late morning and ending for the Central Coast by mid afternoon to early evening. "
The commute hour showers slowed BART trains and created treacherous driving conditions. The California Highway Patrol was reporting more than 30 incidents officers were responding to on Bay Area freeways.
The second stormy blast will arrive on Saturday.
"Localized amounts of 0.5 to 1 inch are possible (Saturday), but this is another case where inland and rain shadowed locations could pick up much less," forecasters said. "Breezy conditions will exist, especially in the hills."
The storms will also be adding to impressive totals so far to the Sierra snowpack.
Wednesday's second snow survey of the season at Phillips Station recorded 85.5 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 33.5 inches, which is 193 percent of average for this location on February 1.
The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR's water supply forecast.
Statewide, the snowpack is 205 percent of average for this date.
"California has always experienced some degree of swings between wet and dry, but the past few months have demonstrated how much more extreme those swings are becoming," said DWR Director Karla Nemeth.
Saturday will be the strongest of the two fronts in the Sierra.
"After this main cold front passage (on Friday), a secondary shortwave will keep convective snow bands going through much of Sunday, keeping hazardous travel conditions going for the Sierra including the Tahoe basin, and potential for total snow accumulations up to 2 feet near the crest above 7000 feet," NWS forecasters in Reno predicted.
"The greatest travel impacts for the Sierra are likely late Saturday night through daybreak Sunday as strong dynamics along the cold front will support an intense band of snow, with potential for 2-3"/hour snowfall rates at times producing whiteout conditions and rapidly worsening road conditions."
