WESH 2 News — Rachel Kennedy said the Bay Area’s light Tuesday rain is giving way to sun later in the week, with high pressure next and a warming trend beginning Wednesday. She said the weather service is also tracking what may come after that, even as the region moves past its third rain system in two weeks.
Rachel Kennedy and the Bay Area
Kennedy, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said, “The high pressure comes next,” as the rain system moved out early Tuesday. She added, “It’s mostly finished, but there could be some isolated areas depending on how long the back end lingers,” a sign that the wet period was ending but not entirely gone during the afternoon.
By 1 p.m., the most measured rain was in the North Bay. Rain began falling in Sonoma County about 4 a.m. ahead of the main front, and Santa Rosa received three-tenths of an inch of rain. Point Reyes had a quarter-inch, Saint Helena in Napa County received 17-hundredths, and Ben Lomond in the Santa Cruz Mountains got about one-third of an inch.
North Bay rain totals
Other readings stayed lighter farther south and east. Mt. Umunhum had a quarter-inch of rain, Los Gatos received.12 inches, Lamorinda received.11 inches, downtown Oakland received.04 inches and Dublin received.02 inches. San Jose saw only trace amounts.
The shift matters because the rain was the region’s third system over the past two weeks, but the pattern after it points toward drying and warming rather than another immediate wet stretch. Kennedy said high temperatures were expected to be in the 70s for some of the region by Thursday and in most of it by Friday.
Wednesday in the Bay Area
The coast and the rest of the region were expected to be mostly clear, with clouds, probably until early next week. At the same time, Kennedy said, “We are monitoring the potential for the next system,” and, “The timing of the days and where it may happen is something that we still have to wait and see.” Conditions in the southern waters of the Pacific Ocean could create a long-wave low-pressure trough that could bring precipitation from the north sometime next week.
Along the coast, a beach hazards statement for sneaker waves and strong rip currents was slated to expire at 8 p.m., and waves at Bay Area beaches were expected to calm by Tuesday night into Wednesday. For now, the practical change is straightforward: wetter roads and rougher surf are easing, while warmer afternoon temperatures are set to build through the end of the week.
