Monday rainstorm leaves some South Bay roads flooded
Monday rainstorm leaves some South Bay roadway flooded; mountains get sleet
A gloomy Monday greeted motorists with partially flooded streets in some areas of San Jose. The CHP reports there were 20 freeway accidents Monday. Officials said that’s slightly above the average number of accidents. San Jose Transportation Department crews were out early, responding to 39 storm-related calls. Many were to relieve storm inlets clogged by debris.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - A gloomy day greeted motorists with partially flooded streets in some areas of San Jose on Monday.
"It’s a good day to stay inside today. Because the weather is terrible. It’s a good day to just put on the tv and just stay in a warm house," said East San Jose resident John Garcia.
Starting Sunday, and continuing through the night, and into Monday, a steady, cold, rainfall soaked Silicon Valley flatlands. Some higher elevations were dusted with snow.
"Down here, it feels cold. But it’s not cold enough, and it’s a little warmer than it was than it was on Friday," said Dr. Alison Bridger, a San Jose State University meteorologist & climate scientist.
Friday, six-inches of snow snarled traffic and trapped motorists on at least three highways. The "winter wonderland" wasn’t repeated on Monday, but the California Highway Patrol issued an advisory for drivers headed to the Santa Cruz Mountains.
"It was rainy. And a little hail at moments. The roadway is a little bit slippery," said officer Israel Murillo. "We’re advising the public not to drive unless they need to.
The CHP reports there were 20 freeway accidents Monday. Officials said that’s slightly above the average number of accidents.
San Jose Transportation Department crews were out early, responding to 39 storm-related calls. Many were to relieve storm inlets clogged by debris.
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"Where ever we have more people, more traffic, there’s more debris," said Colin Hayne, a spokesman for the San Jose Dept. of Transportation. "We monitor about 60 locations across the city that we know are prone to flooding every time we have a level 1 storm day like today."
For all the calls and splashes, forecasters said the Bay Area’s Monday headache was just a half-inch of rain.
"In many parts of the country, that’s one thunderstorm. So gotta put things into perspective. It’s only a half inch of rain," said Dr. Bridger.
Jesse Gary is a reporter based in the station's South Bay bureau. Follow him on Twitter, @JesseKTVU and Instagram, @jessegontv