More rain headed to the Bay Area

Another wet winter storm is setting its sights on the Bay Area as the National Weather Service anticipates a wet start to the workweek, starting Monday afternoon.

Meteorologists believe the winter storm will once again affect the North Bay the most, with a Flood Watch in effect from Monday afternoon into Wednesday night, as up to 5 to 9 inches is expected to fall in the hills and mountains of Sonoma County, as well as some areas of Marin and Napa counties. Around 3 to 5 inches could fall in the coast, valleys and urban areas of that region.

"We're pretty sure they're going to get heavy rainfall for an extended period of time," said Duane Dykema, a NWS meteorologist, on the outlook for the North Bay counties.

Meteorologists said flooding may occur later after initial rains, especially the Russian River, with potential floodwaters not reaching Guerneville in far western Sonoma County until Wednesday evening.

Around the rest of the Bay, a moderate confidence forecast anticipates around 1 to 3 inches in the immediate Bay Area, and possibly up to 5 inches in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

The rain is expected to turn into showers by Wednesday. High winds are also expected starting late Tuesday into Tuesday night.