September 18, 9:35 p.m. Parts of the San Francisco Bay Area reported nearly three inches of rain Sunday as scattered showers, strong winds and isolated thunderstorms continue to move through the area. The National Weather Service’s Oak Ridge station, located east of the small town of Annapolis in Sonoma County, has seen the most rainfall in the Bay Area so far, reporting 2.9 inches of rain, meteorologist Brooke Bingaman told SFGATE Sunday night. Nearby, the high-elevation towns of Cazadero and Venado saw 2.75 inches and 2.66 inches of rain, respectively. San Francisco has seen much less rainfall — just three-tenths of an inch fell downtown, but “a lot of people reported short, heavy downpours,” Bingaman said. “People haven’t seen rain like this for so long.” Sunday was forecast to be the wettest day in the Bay Area, although rainfall totals won’t come close to reaching record amounts. This is due to a particularly powerful storm that passed through the area in 1959, resulting in more than two inches of rain in a single day. “But that doesn’t mean this rain isn’t important,” Bingaman said. “We have moisture conditions that will moderate the fire danger, and while this is not a drought-breaking storm, a little help goes a long way as we battle a multi-year drought.” A wind advisory has been issued for the area until 4 a.m. Monday. Peak gusts ranged from 25 to 50 mph on the San Francisco Peninsula, 40 to 45 mph near Mount Tamalpais, and 35 to 45 mph along the North Bay coastline, which may have contributed to some widespread power outages across the Bay Area, Bingaman said. . Sunday night, PG&E’s outage map indicated outages in the Sunset area along Great Highway and the Marina area at Beach Street. However, the winds seem to be dying down. “The brunt of the storm is really starting to move inland now,” Bingaman said. “If anything, they should continue on a gradual downward trend.” Rains are starting to look more erratic in the North Bay and approaching the SF Peninsula. Thunderstorms possible through tonight so stay alert! #cawx #BayArea pic.twitter.com/u3tDcsU9cb — NWS Bay Area 🌉 (@NWSBayArea) September 18, 2022 In particular, some lightning struck Sonoma County on Sunday, and a slight chance of thunderstorms will be possible through Monday night in the North and East Bay and possibly along the San Francisco Peninsula, Bingaman said. “It’s going to be a situation where people have to stay alert,” he said. “If they hear thunder or see lightning, they should make sure to find shelter in a sturdy house or car and wait it out.” Bingaman also advised people to use caution during the Monday morning commute. “We have seen multiple reports of spinouts and collisions from the California Highway Patrol incident page. The roads are wet and slippery and people haven’t driven in the rain for a while. Remember to drive carefully.”
