Heavy Rains Loom As Bay Area Hunkers Down

Utility workers in San Francisco prepared Thursday for a wave of weather fronts zeroing in on the Northern California coast that were projected to bring heavy rains to the Bay Area and as much a five feet of snow to the Sierra over the next 72 hours.

Light precipitation Friday morning was already moving into the moderate category across portions of the Santa Cruz and Santa Lucia mountains. While there was only light rain across much of the Bay Area, heavier rainfall was mostly confined to southern areas.

Periods of rain were predicted to continue through the weekend, with a much stronger storm system approaching the California coast on Saturday. That system has the potential to produce a period of heavy rain as well as strong south winds with gusts up to 50 mph possible, particularly along the coast and in the hills.

The projected period of heavy rain on Saturday afternoon also could produce some urban flooding.

In San Francisco’s Marina District Thursday night, the rain was intermittent, but residents were bundled up and city workers were preparing for the incoming series of storms.

Shortly after 7 p.m., drivers in San Francisco turned on their windshield wipers and people on the street opened their umbrellas as steadier precipitation began.

While residents were happy that the cold spell gripping the area finally appears to be winding down a bit, the projected heavy rain is bringing new concerns.

To try to prevent damage from this new round of storms, crews with the city's public utilities commission used what workers described as giant vacuum trucks to clear storm drains in various neighborhoods Thursday night.

“They're going around to the city's 20,000 storm drains, sucking up all the debris that's accumulated,” said Tyrone Jue of the SF Public Utilities Commision. “They have to go in there, physically lift these 100 pound grates off the curb and suck up all the debris inside. So it takes a little bit of work.”

Crews said this type of maintenance work requires constant attention, but a forecast of rain meant extra crews would work until midnight and others will be on standby.

Marina District merchant Eli Draganova owns Beyond the Alley, a clothing boutique she just opened in September.

“We are worried about the rain, because people are not shopping during the rains,” said Draganova.

Draganova showed KTVU the back area of her store where a rainstorm in October caused damage to the floor. She said an overloaded storm drain led to contaminated sewer water flooding her business.

“It was about an inch and a half [deep],” explained Draganova. “We had to take out the carpet where it was wet. I was concerned about our inventory.”.

San Francisco's Department of Public Works offered free sandbags at its corporate yard located at the intersection of Kansas and Marin near Highway 101 right off the Cesar Chavez exit.

Crews said storms can cause flooding in low lying neighborhoods and falling trees and limbs pose a hazard.

“Our department staff is all on alert,” said Department of Public Works spokesman Mohammed Nuru. “All throughout the week, they've been checking catch basins. They're looking for any branches that look like they're cracked or going to fall.”

In the Sierra forecasters issued a winter storm warning, predicting that the snow flurries would intensify to near blizzard conditions by Saturday with accumulations of three feet or more at the higher elevations. Gusts were forecasted to be 30 mph with the intensity climbing to over 100 mph on some ridges on Saturday.

State transit officials warned travelers to the mountains to be ready for chain requirements on Highways 50 and 80 and possible delays caused by white-out conditions.

The stormy forecast – on top of the lingering effects of a storm earlier in the week -- was greeted with great anticipation by Northern California skiers and resort owners.

At the Alpine Meadows Ski Resort, the storms at the start of the week 45 inches of snow was dumped at the resort’s base lodge with more than 60 inches of snow at mid mountain.

“The recent snow storm accumulation, in conjunction with our outstanding snowmaking efforts, has enabled us to open a tremendous amount of additional trails to skiers and snowboarders,” said Kent Hoopingarner, Alpine Meadows general manager. “Having this amount terrain open is exciting as we move toward the holidays.”

Forecasters said the storm fronts would move out of the area by Sunday night, but there is a possibility that rain may return to the North Bay as early as Tuesday of next week. .