SAN FRANCISCO -- A storm system set to move into the Bay Area Tuesday afternoon will not cause the kind of damage and destruction inflicted by a storm that ripped through the area Friday, a National Weather Service forecaster said.

Forecaster Brian Tentinger characterized the upcoming storm as a mild system, far less destructive than several systems that battered the region late last week with hurricane force winds, shutting off power for more than 500,000 Bay Area residents and causing havoc on the roads.

Tentinger said Tuesday's storm "won't even be close."

He said rain will begin falling in the North Bay around noon Tuesday and will continue to spread throughout the Bay Area as the afternoon progresses.

Winds up to 45 mph can be expected in peak areas, such as hills in the North Bay and East Bay as well as the Santa Cruz mountains, according to Tentinger. A high wind advisory for the areas will be in effect from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Tentinger said.

Trees and other items unsettled by Friday's storm may topple, but he said little overall damage is expected.

Areas affected by Friday's storm are prepared nonetheless, according to officials.

The Marin County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services, which provided residents with sand bags and advice in preparation for the last storm, is asking residents to again tune in to TV and radio stations for updated information about upcoming storms, spokesman Bruce Stahley said.

Power outages and fallen trees were the biggest problems during Friday's storm, Stahley said. High surf crashing onto the shore was also a problem, causing erosion on the coastline, he said. Minor flooding out of the Corte Madera Creek was controlled.

Alhambra Creek in Martinez, the waterway known for its four resident beavers, did not overflow, Vice Mayor Mark Ross said.

The beavers' damn had been lowered before the storm, allowing water to pass through the creek effectively, Ross said. Officials are not expecting overflow during any additional rainfall, Ross said.

Despite expected tree damage throughout San Francisco, the city's official tree, a 115-year-old cypress at the east end of Golden Gate Park, survived the storm, the Recreation and Park Department announced today.

Tentinger said rainfall Tuesday will subside Wednesday, and continue with another storm and rainfall on Thursday.

Meanwhile, about 8,500 Bay Area homes and businesses remain without power Monday night following winter storms that thrashed the region Friday, a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. spokesman said.

Power is out for an estimated 5,300 PG&E customers in the North Bay; 1,600 in the South Bay; 1,300 in the Peninsula; 200 in San Francisco; and 100 in the East Bay, spokesman Brian Swanson said.

PG&E crews hope to have power back for the majority of its customers Monday night and Tuesday. Some customers, particularly those in remote locations, might not get power back until the middle of the week due to access issues brought on by flooding, down trees and mudslides, Swanson said.

More than a million customers were originally impacted by outages since early Friday, Swanson said.

Residential customers who have not had power for more than 48 hours may be eligible for PG&E's Safety Net Program. Under the program, customers may be entitled to an automatic payment from PG&E of $25 to $100 for their inconvenience, Swanson said.