Bay Area Storm Brings Winds Up to 80 MPH as Atmospheric River Sweeps Region

Thousands were without power Thursday and hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled as a windy and rainy storm fueled by an atmospheric river engulfed the entire Bay Area.

At the height of the storm, more than 3,500 PG&E customers had lost power amid powerful gusts and intense rain. Now fewer than 1,000 are without power due to storm damage. At least one gust of 80 mph was recorded in the Marin Headlands, according to the National Weather Service.

“Very strong winds brought down some limbs, trees and some power poles,” said Matt Mehle, lead meteorologist with the weather service’s Bay Area office.

A wind advisory is in effect through 4 p.m. Thursday for the East Bay and San Francisco. But the good news is the “widespread rain is over for the heart of the Bay Area,” Mehle said. “The stronger stuff is shifting down towards Monterey.”

Airports across the region grounded planes due to the weather. Nearly 350 flights were delayed and 54 were canceled so far Thursday at San Francisco International Airport due to weather, a spokesperson said.

There were far fewer cancellations out of Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, where 10 flights were canceled and nine delayed, an airport spokesperson told KQED. There were no delays or cancellations out of San José Mineta International Airport.

Minor flooding hit urban areas including San Francisco, San José and parts of the East Bay, according to the weather service, which issued flood advisories that have since been lifted for low-lying areas in San Francisco, San Mateo and northwestern Santa Clara counties, as well as parts of Marin and Sonoma counties.

Behringer said there was flooding “up and down Highway 101” through Santa Clara, as well as in Morgan Hill, the Santa Cruz area and in Marin County.

Caltrans’ map of partial road closures and hazards was lit up in yellow and black exclamation marks Thursday afternoon, with flooding and wind issues affecting some lanes and ramps on major highways across the region, from Sonoma to San Francisco to San José.

“We did get reports of some minor flooding and a few trees down across roadways,” said Dalton Behringer, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Bay Area office.

Over the last 24 hours, coastal mountains in the North Bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains have received 2 to 4 inches of rain, Mehle said. More than 4 inches of rain fell in Venado, in Sonoma County. Parts of the North Bay could see up to 6 inches by the time the storm is over.

Around 1.20 inches fell in downtown San Francisco and 1.5 inches at San Francisco International Airport. Oakland received around 1.5 inches of rain, and there was less than an inch in San José, Mehle said.

San Francisco Public Works offers residents and businesses 10 free sandbags, and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission offers an online map of the most flood-prone parts of the city.

For the rest of Thursday and through Saturday, forecasters expect the tail end of the same system to cause showers and possible sporadic thunderstorms. Behringer said Friday might offer a break from the rain.

“We may actually have a sunny afternoon on Friday,” Behringer said. “Saturday, it’s going to be more like a dreary day.”

The service has also issued a beach hazards statement for increased risk of sneaker waves and rip currents along the coast. Waves could reach up to 23 feet at some locations.

Forecasters said the region will remain in an active weather pattern over the next week, and daytime temperatures will be in the 50s. The rain is expected to continue into the weekend, and there’s a chance of rain later next week.

“The uncertainty really balloons past Tuesday, though, so don’t give up all hope for nicer weather next week,” forecasters wrote in their daily forecast discussion.