Fluctuating forecasts and near-unpredictable weather patterns have been the story in the Bay Area so far this week but even though residents woke up without rain Wednesday morning, the consensus remains the same — the rest of the week will likely be wet and windy, according to the National Weather Service.
The NWS forecast for Wednesday called for between half of an inch to one-quarter of an inch of rain between about 5 a.m. and midnight in Oakland, San Francisco, San Mateo County, Santa Cruz County and the East Bay Hills. In the Santa Cruz Mountains, that figure was pushed up to about one inch, while in the Santa Clara Valley it was between one-quarter and one-half.
A NWS bulletin called the upcoming rain showers “unorganized,” as the rain bands were predicted to lose their structures once they pushed inland past the coast, but they were still expected to be widespread by the evening. Wednesday morning was dry, despite expectations that the rain could start earlier, but those unorganized showers could start in many parts of the Bay Area by the afternoon.
Paired with the rain will be strong winds with gusts reaching more than 20 miles per hour in some places. They’re expected to be particularly strong in the South Bay with San Jose gusts possibly hitting 26 mph, but could reach 22 in Livermore and parts of the East Bay, 18 in Concord, and 25 in San Francisco.
In addition to the rain, Wednesday afternoon will bring stronger southerly winds. Here’s a look at the maximum gusts (mph) expected through the day. pic.twitter.com/D6UiCsRTRW
— NWS Bay Area 🌉 (@NWSBayArea) November 15, 2023
Confidence for late-week storms is rising. Wednesday’s rain is likely to linger into Thursday, with showers going in and out throughout the day, but the strongest of the precipitation was set for Friday, though those totals could remain relatively moderate, per the NWS.
This is a developing report. Check back for updates.