Gusty Winds, Rain and Possible Flash Floods A-Comin'

The National Weather Service, Bay Area, has issued a heavy rain, high wind gust and flash flood warning from tonight -- Thursday evening -- until Monday.

Rainfall is expected throughout the Bay Area, with the some of the heaviest rainfall expected in the North Bay. Rainfall volumes in the North Bay could overwhelm waterways and roadway drainage systems, leading to flash flooding.

Rainfall totals across the urban San Francisco Bay Area are expected to be 2 to 4 inches of rain, with 3 to 6 inches in the North Bay and coastal mountains.

Up to 10 inches are possible on the higher peaks of Marin and Sonoma counties, and up to 8 inches are possible for the coastal mountains in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.

Lower rain amounts of 1.5 to 3 inches can be expected for the remainder of our area.

Beside the rain, the other main area of concern will be gusty southerly winds on Friday morning through Friday night.

The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for most of our area during that period.

High winds could impact areas including Point Reyes National Seashore, North Bay interior valleys and mountains, the San Francisco Bay shoreline, the Peninsula, interior areas of the East Bay, East Bay hills, the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Santa Clara Valley, officials said.

Beginning late Thursday, area winds will increase, and the area could see sustained winds of 20 to 35 mph and wind gusts of up to 50 mph and 60 mph in higher elevations.

There is the potential for downed trees, downed power lines, power outages, and driving conditions could be difficult at times, officials said.

A wind advisory means sustained winds of at least 35 mph or gusts of 45 mph are expected.

Now is a good time to check that you don’t have any loose items on your property that could be picked up by the wind, the NWS said.

More information can be found here: https://nwschat.weather.gov/vtec/

And some road reminders from the California Highway Patrol:

• As you drive during this storm, please take the following notes into consideration:
• Roadways will be especially slippery during the first hours of rainfall, especially after the recent dry spell. Be extra cautious when driving during the initial hours of rainfall.
• Freeways will often flood nearest to the roadway edges, especially on elevated roadways with walls on both sides. Avoid the outside lanes, especially at night.
• Never drive through standing water. You never know how deep the water is, and what may be lurking beneath the surface.
• The primary method of avoiding collisions during severe weather is to slow down. Slower speeds prevent hydroplaning, which often leads to crashes. Extra following distance will also help if someone crashes ahead.
• Whenever your windshield wipers are on, your headlights should be as well. Often, vehicles are not visible without head and taillights.
• Prepare your vehicle now. Replace windshield wipers if necessary, check your brakes and your fluids. The worst time to break down is during heavy weather. Towing services are usually overwhelmed with collisions, and response times are delayed.

If you experience an emergency on the freeway, call 9-1-1 from your mobile phone. Please be aware that CHP response times are often delayed due to the high volume of calls.

If you experience a minor collision, please move out of the roadway as soon as possible to prevent secondary collisions and to keep our Bay Area roadways moving!

Weather service officials also issued a small craft advisory for Monterey, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties. The U.S. Coast Guard is calling on boat owners to make sure their watercrafts are secured during the store. Any boats that aren’t properly moored could break free into the water, possibly releasing fluids or chemical posing an environmental hazard, according to the Coast Guard.

Also see:

Slippery When Wet! CHP Reminds You How To Drive In Drizzly Weather and What To Do If Hydroplaning.

CHP: Turn Around, Don’t Drown.

--Information and images courtesy of the CHP, BCN and the NWS-Bay Area.

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