Batten Down the Hatches

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A powerful and rapidly intensifying storm system is bearing down on the North Bay, and expected to bring high winds, heavy rain and local flooding Friday night through much of Saturday.

Here is the satellite view as of Friday early afternoon. The storm is just about to make landfall in Sonoma County. You can see cold air wrapping around the storm’s backside, driving very moist air into California.

This is an extremely strong storm by Pacific Coast standards. The surface low is quite intense and will generate high winds of 40-70 miles per hour over the North Bay and Sonoma County, as well as much of Northern California from late Friday into Saturday.

In addition, rain rates of 1 inch per hour are forecast which may last for a few hours beginning late Friday into Saturday morning in the North Bay. Therefore, the National Weather Service has posted urban and small stream flood advisories as well as wind advisories for our region. Rainfall will be impressive by the end of the weekend, up to 6 inches across the wetter parts of Sonoma County.

And snow? Let’s just say if you’re headed for the Sierra, conditions will be treacherous. Up to 100 inches, yes that’s 9 feet of snow, is forecast to fall in the central Sierra by Monday.