FLOOD WATCH SUNDAY-WEDNESDAY. STORM SERIES NEARS NORTH BAY.

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THE BIG PICTURE

A significant storm series is nearing California and could bring urban and small stream flooding as soon as Sunday. The storms will arrive early on Saturday and may continue, off and on, into Wednesday.

DETAILS

On Friday the next storm was gathering steam off the California coast and was tapping moisture from near the Hawaiian Islands.

Rain will begin early Saturday and continue into Sunday. Another even wetter storm on the heels of the first will arrive on Sunday afternoon.

A jet stream strengthening and extension to California is driving the storm series.

Rainfall from the first storm, Saturday into Sunday, should range from 1-2 inches across the North Bay. This storm has trended a bit drier for our region over the past 24 hours.

The second storm, following 24 hours after the first, will be a bigger rain maker. This one, arriving Sunday afternoon, may bring 2-4 more inches of rain to the North Bay.

Those storms together, from Saturday through Tuesday, may bring 4-6 plus inches of rain to the North Bay region.

Because of the accumulated rain falling on already saturated soil, the NWS has issued a flood watch effective from Sunday morning through Wednesday morning.

As of Friday the Russian River is not expected to reach flood stage, but may reach monitor stage (nearing flood stage) at Hopland. This should come Monday and Tuesday. However this may change and anyone living near the Russian should keep up with updates.

Meanwhile, other flood prone areas of the North Bay, like Mark West Creek in the Mirabel area and Launa de Santa Rosa at Stony Point Road, may experience minor flooding.

Winds will be gusty throughout the storm series, with the highest gusts with the 2nd storm on Monday. Still the strongest winds are expected to stay off the coast.

We may dry out for a few days after next Wednesday, but longer range outlooks bring a trough of low pressure to the California coast in the last week of the month, with more, colder storms possible.