High Winds and Rain on the Way

The clouds are already moving in for a stormy weekend that is expected to bring as much as five inches of rain and winds up to 60 mph.

A series of strong storm systems will batter Marin County and beyond with heavy rain and high winds this weekend, the National Weather Service said.

"It's going to be wet and windy, that's for sure," said Steve Anderson, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in the Bay Area. "Make sure those flash lights have batteries, because power will more than likely be out in parts of the area."

Anderson said rain will arrive on Friday but get heavy on Saturday and last into early next week.

Our area could get as much as six inches of rain over the next several days, while higher elevations could get as much as 10 inches over the next week. Winds are expected to gust between 30 and 40 miles per hour, Anderson said.

Point Reyes National Seashore officials warned that winds could gust as high as 60 mph.

Anderson urged Marin residents to make sure their gutters are cleared from earlier storms.

"Some of the previous storms knocked a lot of leaves down," he said.

Point Reyes officials also warned that the combination of heavy rainfall and strong winds may cause falling of trees along roads and trails within the national seashore, and temporary closures could result.

The expected storm comes amidst a relatively dry winter to date, with the National Weather Service projecting that rain totals in Marin will fall below average this season.