Marin picks up more rain as system moves through region
Parts of Marin County received another inch of rain over the weekend as a line of storms moves through the region.
The 48-hour rain totals ending around 7:30 p.m. Sunday included 1.07 inches on Mount Tamalpais and 0.98 inches in Kentfield, according to the National Weather Service. Other totals included 0.53 inches in Sausalito, 0.47 inches at the county fairgrounds in San Rafael, 0.40 inches in Tiburon and about a quarter-inch in Novato.
The storms that ushered in a chilly, soggy start to December should continue to move across Northern California early this week, offering more chances for rain in the Bay Area and a fresh coat of powder over the Sierra Nevada.
One-third to a half-inch of rain could still fall over lower-lying portions of the Bay Area from Sunday through Tuesday morning — further boosting already healthy rainfall totals over the past several days.
Three-quarters of an inch of rain could fall in that same time span over the coastal mountains, particularly in Sonoma County, said Brayden Murdock, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
To the east, another 1 to 2 feet of snow was expected to fall Sunday and Monday over parts of the Sierra Nevada, prompting travel warnings for the high country and slick, dangerous travel conditions for skiers seeking to take advantage of the wintry weather.
The region needs the moisture. The Bay Area, for example, received only about a quarter of its normal annual rainfall through the end of November, according to National Weather Service records.
It also comes as the Bay Area heads into its critical four-month wet season of December through March, when it receives the vast majority of its annual precipitation. Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose, for example, all receive nearly three-quarters of their rain during those months.
“We’re in a good spot right now to start off the rainy season,” Murdock said. “We’d like to see more of this.”
The rain is owed to a ridge of low pressure that is expected to move across Northern California, bringing more chances for rain and snow over the next couple of days. And while some parts of the Bay Area saw sunny skies on Sunday, others were drenched.
Nearly the entire Bay Area had rain overnight Saturday into early Sunday morning, according to rain gauges maintained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
By Sunday afternoon, the rain appeared concentrated in Sonoma County, and to a lesser extent the South Bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains. Up to a half-inch fell from 8:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., rain gauges maintained by the agency showed.
Already, Northern California has been graced with plentiful rainfall over the last several days.
From Wednesday through early Sunday morning, 1 to 2 inches of rain fell over most of the lower-lying parts of the Bay Area, including San Francisco, Oakland and the Santa Clara Valley. Even more rain fell over the Santa Cruz Mountains, which saw 3 to 5 inches of rain over that time.
The highest rainfall totals were centered around Big Sur and the southern end of Monterey County, which saw upward of 10 to 11 inches of rain the past several days. The abundant moisture caused a rockslide that closed a portion of Highway 1 between Ragged Point and Big Sur.
About 8 to 14 inches of snow fell over the crest of the Sierra Nevada on Saturday, while snow levels dropped to 4,500 to 5,500 feet across much of Northern California, said Hannah Chandler-Cooley, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
At least 1 to 2 feet of additional snow was forecast to fall over the northern portion of the Sierra Nevada on Sunday and Monday — adding to a base of about 2 to 3 feet of snow across much of the area, Chandler-Cooley said.
“We’re still highly discouraging travel through tomorrow,” Chandler-Cooley said.
Despite all of that rain, far more moisture is needed to make any sort of sizable dent in the withering, years-long drought gripping the state.
Almost all of the Bay Area is classified as being in a severe drought, according to the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor report, which was issued Thursday morning. Parts of east Contra Costa County, along with the entire Sacramento River Valley, were in extreme drought.
This year has been particularly punishing. Oakland received only 5.25 of the 17.95 inches of rain it normally gets from January through November, National Weather Service records show. San Jose saw only 2.88 of its typical 11.19 of rain during that time, while San Francisco saw just 4.25 of its usual 18.13 inches of rain.
That — combined with below-average snowpack across the Sierra in recent years — means far more storms are needed for Northern California to emerge from its current drought, Murdock said.
“We’re making great progress on this year so far, but again we’ve been in a deficit for years now,” Murdock said. “As far as really wiping out the lack of rain we’ve had the last few seasons, it’s going to take a lot. It’s an uphill battle.”