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Back-to-back storms to drench Bay Area through Christmas

Updated  December 22, 2021 5:56pm PST
Severe Weather
Associated Press

Series of storms won't cure drought

KTVU meteorologist Bill Martin said the wet weather pattern moving across California is not enough to fix drought conditions.

SAN FRANCISCO - Rain and snow showers fell on Northern California on Wednesday in the first wave of a wet weather pattern that is expected to spread throughout the state and last through Christmas and into next week, forecasters said.

Forecasters warned that holiday travel, especially through high passes, would be affected by multiple rounds of rain, mountain snow and gusty winds.

Winter storm warnings were scheduled to go into effect in sections of the Sierra Nevada as early as Wednesday afternoon or by Thursday morning and last through Sunday, the National Weather Service said.

Train of rain

Steve Paulson says today will be cloudy with off-and-on rain.

Chain requirements were already in effect for vehicles on some stretches of routes through the Sierra, according to the California Department of Transportation.

Rainfall was light to moderate around the San Francisco Bay Area and was slowly spreading down the coast.

Widespread rain wasn’t expected in Southern California until Thursday. Forecasters said a flood watch would be in effect Thursday evening through Friday morning due to possible excessive rainfall from an atmospheric river pointed at the region.