Strong storms wraps up an above-average rainy October

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - The second of three rounds of wet weather arrives in the Bay Area Thursday capping an above-average month of rainfall for October.

That's a trend that forecasters say looks to continue into November and December.

Thursday's storm will give way to heavy rain in the afternoon and evening.

The rain is expected to cause delays for the Thursday evening commute.

It's also prompting flash flood watches in the burn area of the Soberanes fire near Monterey.

Through Friday as much as 3 inches of rain could fall in those areas. KTVU's Mark Tamayo says rainfall rates could exceed half an inch per hour. 

While there will be plenty of rain, weather officials say the temperatures will be mild, partially due to the fact that a Hurricane off the coast of Mexico is enhancing the storm with tropical moisture.

Those mild temperatures mean that the Sierra will likely not see any snow as a result of these storms.

After Thursday's storm another round of rain moves through the area on Sunday, before things dry up on Monday just in time for Halloween trick or treaters.

By the end of the weekend as much as 2 inches of rain is expected to have fallen in San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland.  

That's nearly double the average monthly rainfall for October in those areas.

Officials with the National Weather service say that this wet pattern could continue through the rest of the year because it's a neutral year of weather, meaning it's not an El Nino or La Nina year.

Occasionally, those neutral years bring above average rainfall to the Bay Area.