An atmospheric river storm is expected to arrive in the North Bay late Tuesday before spreading to the rest of the Bay Area later this week, likely bringing several inches of rain and wind gusts of up to 45-50 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
By the end of the week, many parts of the region are expected to receive about a month’s worth of rain, with the North Bay forecast to receive up to 10 inches or more in some Sonoma County coastal mountain ranges, weather service meteorologist Dial Hoang said.
“At least for these first couple of days, the North Bay will really see the largest impacts from this system,” Hoang said.
As a result of the stormy forecast, Fort Ross and Montgomery elementary schools, both located along the Sonoma Coast, announced they will be closed Wednesday, county education officials said.
Hoang said soil conditions in the Bay Area are somewhat dry because of the hot summer and this being the first big winter storm to hit the region, so that might mitigate flooding concerns somewhat.
“They might be able to soak up some of it initially, but it will saturate really quickly” and lead to flooding in some urban areas and along small streams and creeks, particularly in the North Bay, Hoang said.
Flood and wind advisories
Flood watch will begin early Wednesday morning for much of the North Bay, NWS said.
The flood watch begins at 4 a.m. Wednesday and will run through 5 p.m. Friday for the North Bay counties of Sonoma, Napa and Marin.
Residents could expect rises in creeks, rivers and streams, which could flood into urban areas. Ponding of water on roadways and other low-laying areas is also possible, the weather service said.
Sonoma County Water Agency on Tuesday began the process of lowering its rubber dam located in the Russian River near Forestville. Sonoma Water routinely lowers the rubber dam when Russian River flow forecasts show the river exceeding 1,600 cubic feet per second to prevent damage to the rubber dam from high flows.
The weather service has also issued a Wind Advisory for most of the region that goes into effect at 10 p.m. Tuesday through 6 a.m. Thursday because of a risk of high winds that could lead to downed trees and branches and power outages.
Forecasters are saying there is also a chance of thunderstorms when a second round of rain rolls into the region on Friday and Saturday, and lingering showers are expected to last into early next week.
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