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First big storm of the season due Tuesday
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For the past week meteorologists have been watching forecast charts for next Tuesday that have consistently been saying "rain is on the way". As we have gotten closer to Tuesday the details have become clearer and point toward lots of wind and rain.
One interesting element of this storm has to do with former Typhoon Melor which struck Japan on Wednesday (Pacific time). While that storm has lost its strong typhoon winds, a large amount of its moisture has been picked up by another storm system that is developing over the western Pacific Ocean and is headed toward the West Coast.
Forecast charts are showing light rain spreading into the Bay Area before dawn on Tuesday then picking up in intensity through the morning and becoming heavy during the middle part of the day and afternoon. Rainfall totals by the end of the day on Tuesday will be in the 1 to 3 inch range at the lower elevations of the Bay Area and locally in excess of 5 inches in the mountains.
Not only will the rain increase through the day but so will the very gusty southerly winds. During the afternoon winds will gust in excess of 50 mph at the lower elevations around the Bay and possibly as high at 70 mph along the coast and in the hills,
A storm of this intensity so early in the season poses a number of unique problems that might not exist later int he winter. Because many Bay Area trees are still in full leaf the strong winds will snap lots of limbs leading to power outages. While river flooding is not expected, lots of localized flooding of intersections and underpasses is possible; exacerbated by drains clogged with leaves and other debris. Likewise, early season rain and oils deposited on roadways during the long dry summer will create dangerous slick driving conditions.
Jan Null, CCM
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