Northern California and the Bay Area have been engulfed by an atmospheric river storm for the third day. The storm is moving southward from the North Bay, flooding roads, creeks, and low-lying neighborhoods.
The National Weather Service issued flash flood advisories for the city of San Francisco and seven Bay Area counties Friday afternoon due to the unrelenting rain. West central Contra Costa County, northwestern San Mateo County, and northwestern and central Alameda County were all under the flash flood warnings.
The Russian River at Johnson’s Beach in Guerneville was under a flood warning in Sonoma County earlier Friday, according to the Weather Service, which was in effect from 2:00 PM on Friday until further notice. The towns of Forestville, Monte Rio, and other locations close to the river west of Guerneville are also under the danger. Late Friday night, the river was predicted to surpass the flood mark and reach 32.5 feet shortly after midnight.
The Russian River at Hacienda Bridge is predicted to reach minor flood stage this evening after reaching action state. Keep in mind that the crest will appear tomorrow morning once the rain has stopped.#twitter.com/oKIWpjRKah #CAwxpic
Santa Rosa’s three-day rainfall total of 12.47 inches broke the previous record of 9.96 inches set in October 2021, according to a report released by the Weather Service on Friday. Since records began in 1902, this is the most rain that has fallen in a 72-hour period.
A flood warning was issued for a number of rivers in counties nearer the Oregon border north of the Bay Area. These counties include the Mad, Eel, and Van Duzen rivers in Humboldt County, as well as the Russian and Navarro rivers in Mendocino County. Along the Eel River, significant flooding is predicted to impact Fernbridge, Scotia, Bridgeville, Fort Seward, and Miranda.
First Alert Weather: Local conditions, warnings, and maps
It was predicted that Friday would bring a month’s worth of rain to the city of Sacramento in a single day. In addition to the 1.29 inches of rain the city has already received this week, the city is expected to receive slightly more than two inches of rain on Friday and Saturday, which is roughly 1.78 inches on average for November.
As the atmospheric river changes into snow as it reaches higher elevations, blizzard and whiteout conditions were predicted for the Sierra Nevada. Snow levels will continue to decline through Friday and into the weekend, despite the fact that Thursday’s storm primarily brought rain to the mountains.
According to the Weather Service, the North Bay’s extended rains may raise the possibility of landslides, flooding, and toppled trees and powerlines. Due to the possibility of minor flooding in low-lying and poorly drained regions, a flood advisory was issued for all of Sonoma, Marin, and Napa counties until 3:15 a.m. on Saturday in addition to the flood warning.
Santa Rosa, California Roadways in the City of Santa Rosa have flooded and ponded in several places. Please don’t travel needlessly during this period. A flood warning has been issued through tomorrow by the @NWSBayArea. See https://t.co/6XS1PPoC69pic.twitter.com/xyP3EjZjQO for additional information.
The Silverado Trail in Sonoma County was closed Friday afternoon due to mudslides obstructing the route from Yountville Cross route south to Oak Knoll Avenue, according to Caltrans. A mudslide along Madrone Avenue in Healdsburg earlier Friday morning damaged some properties and obstructed the road. In order to shore up the hillside, crews were waiting for the rain to stop.
Sonoma County has seen scores of school closures due to the current storm, with the number of closures rising since Wednesday. An updated list of closures was issued on the county’s Office of Education’s website.
Just after 2:00 p.m. on Friday, the San Rafael Fire Department reported several parts of streets in Marin County were flooded. Numerous reports of trees falling were also made by San Rafael police, including one big tree that fell onto the road on Las Gallinas Avenue close to Las Colindas Road.
Along with Friday’s rain, the Bay Area will see an increase in southerly winds as the cold front moves south. Coastal and higher elevation areas of the North Bay, the city of San Francisco, the East Bay and Santa Clara Hills, the Santa Cruz Mountains and Peninsula coast, the Gabilan Range, the Santa Lucia Range, southern Monterey Bay, and coastal Big Sur were also under a wind advisory until 10 p.m. Friday, according to the Weather Service.
At higher elevations, sustained wind speeds of 15 to 30 mph are predicted, with gusts of up to 50 mph. Above 2,500 feet, wind gusts of above 65 mph are possible.
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