Rain picks up, moves through Bay Area

(KTVU) - - A big winter has rolled into the Bay Area Thursday.

Heavy rain is falling across parts of the Bay Area and the afternoon commute will turn nasty.

A flash flood warning is in place for southern Sonoma and northern Marin counties until 5 p.m. The creeks in those areas have been rising rapidly. 

Steve estimates the heaviest rain will hit San Francisco from 1-4 p.m., the East Bay from 2-4 p.m., and the South Bay from 6-10 p.m. 

There is also a wind advisory in place with gusts of over 45 mph.

One area in the Sonoma County hills has an isolated report of over 6 inches of rain so far. 

Santa Rosa will receive more than 2 inches of rain by the weekend, with the possibility that the amount could double. 

Forecast models show that San Francisco could receive 1.77 inches of rain.

Alex Savidge was in the North Bay Thursday morning, just west of Santa Rosa, where he reported heavy rain was falling. He said there was some flooding in the streets. Alex also reported a tree had fallen on Hwy. 116, blocking the roadway. The tree came down on powerlines. Around 9 a.m. crews were working to clear the tree from the roadway. 

The brunt of this rainstorm will be felt in the afternoon, with some rain lingering through Friday.

Steve Paulson said that the weekend looks dry, but the temperature highs will only reach into the 40s or low 50s.