California storm: Bomb cyclone rain prompts Bay Area flood advisories - San Francisco Chronicle

Emergency services spent the nighttime retired successful afloat unit responding to dangers similar downed trees and powerfulness lines. Some schoolhouse districts, and a agelong database of Bay Area parks person said they volition beryllium closed connected Thursday.

• Bay Area upwind forecast: Here’s erstwhile the rainfall and upwind volition taper off
• Map shows biggest impacts of utmost weather pummeling the region
• Photos amusement however ‘bomb cyclone’ drenched and flooded the Bay Area
• These images seizure the sheer powerfulness and quality of the weaponry cyclone disconnected California

Latest updates:

Multiple Bay Area highways closed owed to bedewed upwind | 10:36 a.m.

Several Bay Area highways are closed owed to wintertime tempest effects astir the Bay Area, according to 511 SF Bay:

In Alameda County:

• State Route 84 astatine Mission Blvd. successful Fremont, each lanes are blocked successful some directions due to the fact that of flooding and a landslide

In Santa Cruz County:

• State Route 9 astatine Glengarry Road, each lanes are blocked successful some directions due to the fact that of a landslide
• State Route 9 southbound of Upper State Route 236, each lanes blocked successful some directions due to the fact that of downed wires

In Sonoma County:

• Highway 1 Northbound astatine North Harbour, each lanes are blocked successful some directions due to the fact that of a downed tree

Hurricane Hunters tracking atmospheric river

An Air Force Reserve WC-130J is taking disconnected from Sacramento contiguous to probe the atmospheric stream that has been fueling bedewed upwind crossed the state. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration pitchy volition besides statesman flights connected Friday. These flights volition driblet technological instruments into the upwind strategy to cod information astir the atmospheric stream successful bid to amended upwind forecasts. To larn much astir efforts to track atmospheric rivers, spot our story. 

Ski resorts open, but road to Kirkwood closed

There's thing skiers and snowboarders emotion much than caller pulverization and Tahoe country resorts are unfastened with anyplace from 5 inches to 16 inches of caller snow.

Snow-lovers volition person immoderate occupation getting to Kirkwood, however, arsenic Highway 88 is closed to each postulation from the South Lake Tahoe area. Anyone already astatine the edifice oregon who manages to get determination volition find each lifts temporarily connected clasp until 1 p.m. Most resorts person immoderate lifts closed owed to the caller snowfall and conditions. Skiers and snowboarders should cheque with resorts to spot which lifts are operating.

Flood advisories issued for 6 Bay Area counties | 10:07 a.m.

Flood advisories caused by “excessive rainfall” are successful effect for the counties of San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz until 12:45 p.m., according to a Thursday morning National Weather Service advisory.

Locations that volition acquisition flooding include: San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Fremont, Hayward, Sunnyvale, Concord, Santa Clara, Berkeley, Richmond, Antioch, Daly City, San Mateo, San Leandro, Livermore, Redwood City, Mountain View, Alameda, San Ramon and Pleasanton, according to NWS.

“Minor flooding successful low-lying and mediocre drainage areas” and h2o connected roadways are expected, the advisory said. The NWS advised radical not to thrust connected flooded roads, noting that “most flood deaths hap successful vehicles.”

S.F. concern proprietor complains of stolen sandbags

Enrique Espinoza, the manager of Robin’s Cafe astatine 17th and Folsom streets, was furious erstwhile helium arrived astatine 5:30 a.m. Thursday greeting to find that idiosyncratic had stolen his sandbags. The cafe, which is situated successful 1 of the astir flood-prone parts of the city, was inundated with 2 inches of h2o connected New Year’s Eve. Bracing for much interaction earlier Wednesday’s storm, helium lined the extracurricular of the concern with astir a twelve sandbags that helium picked up from the city’s escaped organisation service. 

“Good happening the h2o didn’t travel in, but I cognize that the upwind isn’t done yet and I request sandbags,” helium said. “So I mightiness request to conscionable spell to the formation myself and capable them up due to the fact that determination aren’t immoderate anymore.”

Heavy snow, constricted visibility for drivers connected I-80 astatine Donner Summit | 9:55 a.m.

In the Sierra upland passes, cars tin beryllium seen dilatory driving done snow-covered roads arsenic “gusty winds” bounds visibility to small much than hazy outlines, successful a video posted by Caltrans District 3 connected Twitter astatine 8:24 a.m. Chain controls are successful effect, according to the Caltrans post.

It’s dilatory going close present for travelers implicit the Sierra upland passes: Chain controls, gusty winds & snow. Here’s a unrecorded look astatine existent conditions connected I-80 astatine Donner Summit. @CHP_Truckee @CHP_HQ @CaltransHQ pic.twitter.com/Ji5i3LqXuh

— Caltrans District 3 (@CaltransDist3) January 5, 2023

Nearly 100,000 PG&E customers without powerfulness successful Bay Area and Central Coast | 9:45 a.m.

About 83,867 Pacific Gas & Electric Co. customers successful the Bay Area and 14,927 customers successful the Central Coast are without powerfulness arsenic of Thursday 9:15 a.m., adding up to a full of 98,794 affected customers successful the 2 regions, according to PG&E spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian.

Affected customers include:

• 36,797 successful the North Bay
• 26,997 successful the Peninsula
• 9,708 successful the South Bay
• 7,846 successful the East Bay
• 2,519 successful San Francisco

Bomb cyclone fuels precocious surf and coastal flooding 

Damage to the “Rusty Rails” Pier successful Capitola, insignificant flooding on the Embarcadero successful San Francisco and waves crashing onto Highway 1 are a effect of precocious surf from the weaponry cyclone. These unsmooth seas volition proceed to wreak havoc on beaches and exposed spot connected the Pacific shoreline done the remainder of today.

These swells each stem from the weaponry cyclone and are slated to dispersed on the California coastline done aboriginal Friday greeting The National Weather Service issued a precocious surf informing done 3 a.m. Friday arsenic breaking waves of 25 to 30 feet slam onto parts of the coast.

This volition apt origin much flooding of lots, parks, and roads. Breaking waves are besides known for sweeping radical disconnected jetties and docks. Dangerous swimming and surfing conditions, on with important formation erosion are expected until the seas calm tomorrow.

The tempest has caused important harm passim the region and on the coast, including dense harm to piers successful Capitola and Seacliff. High tide and ample surf is simply a unsafe operation - debar the coast. pic.twitter.com/XiyuJBQUFB

— Santa Cruz County (@sccounty) January 5, 2023

Golden Gate National Park visitant sites stay closed

Multiple Golden Gate National Park visitant areas remained closed connected Thursday “due to harm sustained during caller upwind events,” according to the parkland service. Some of the sites see Alcatraz Island, Fort Point, Muir Woods, Point Bonita Lighthouse, Nike Missle Site, Muir Beach and Stinson Beach.

Strong waves lavation retired piers on Santa Cruz coast

The powerful tempest brought beardown waves on the Santa Cruz coastline, washing retired aggregate piers, according to societal media posts.

Photos and videos posted connected societal media amusement portions of the Capitola and Aptos wharfs wiped out. California Highway Patrol officials tweeted Thursday that the coastal municipality of Aptos was experiencing flooding on coastal roads, on with photos of flooded streets. “Please debar the area,” CHP said.

Fresh snowfall fell successful Tahoe overnight, much coming

A caller batch of snowfall had been expected to get successful Lake Tahoe connected Wednesday but aft a little bout of flurries, the prima came out. The expected tempest arrived precocious Wednesday, starting with rainfall and gusting winds. Around midnight, dense snowfall started to autumn and continued done the greeting with astir 5 inches overnight, according to the National Weather Service successful Reno. 

Tahoe City reported astir 1.5 inches and Tahoe skis resorts betwixt 6 inches and 13 inches. Lighter snowfall continues to autumn successful South Lake Tahoe and intermittent snowfall showers are expected into the afternoon. Two much systems are expected to bring tiny amounts of snowfall connected Saturday and Sunday with different atmospheric stream tempest expected Wednesday done Friday. "That's the 1 we're truly keeping our oculus on," said Amanda Young, a NWS meteorologist.

Monterey County country nether evacuation order

Residents adjacent the Carmel River Lagoon successful the Mission Fields Community are nether an evacuation order, effectual instantly until further notice, as issued by the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. Areas nether the bid see those southbound of 14th Ave and eastbound of Carmelo Street. 

Evacuation Order for Mission Fields Community. pic.twitter.com/YPLfSTZkgI

— MontereyCoInfo (@MontereyCoInfo) January 5, 2023

Little harm successful 1 of S.F.’s low-lying areas

Little existent tempest harm was disposable Thursday greeting successful the low-lying intersection of 15th Avenue and Wawona thoroughfare successful San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood.

The lashing rainfall and driving upwind had not downed immoderate trees successful the contiguous country and nary floodwater vas disposable connected the streets.Multiple homes on 15th Avenue had sandbags stacked successful their driveways to defender against flooding.

Others utilized sandbags and tarps to effort and support the h2o out. One location had gone truthful acold arsenic to instal a factual bump successful the driveway that would marque it much hard for h2o to seep successful disconnected the street.

BART trains slowed by bedewed upwind | 9:16 a.m. 

BART services volition beryllium operating with a 5 to 20 infinitesimal hold to let operators to look for debris connected the tracks and to forestall “flat spots” from processing connected the wheels, BART said successful a “wet upwind crippled plan” post Thursday morning.

“Flat spots” hap connected wheels erstwhile the instrumentality is dragged guardant connected the track after the instrumentality has stopped rotating, usually during slippery conditions, causing a literal level spot connected the railcar wheel. They tin origin important harm to the railway successful the signifier of breached rails oregon adjacent derailment.

BART has canceled immoderate trains due to the fact that a “high number” of cars are successful attraction for level spots, according to the service’s Thursday greeting post.

“Crews are moving astir the timepiece astatine each of our 4 attraction shops to resurface oregon regenerate wheels and reconstruct scheduled work levels. This volition instrumentality sizeable clip and effort owed to the ongoing dense rainfall we are experiencing this winter,” BART said.

As a result, determination is “limited” work connected the Green line, from Berryessa to Daly City, and connected the Red line, from Richmond to Millbrae/San Francisco International Airport. Stations on the Green and Red enactment are besides served by the Orange and Blue line, BART said.

The Yellow enactment besides has less trains operating due to the fact that of “the magnitude of way exposed to the elements connected that line,” BART said.

Wind measured astatine 101 mph astatine 1 Marin County spot

Large branches prevarication connected cars and connected Cortland Avenue during a class 5 tempest successful San Francisco connected Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2022.

Michaela Vatcheva/Special to The Chronicle

Wednesday afternoon, Pacific Gas & Electric Co.’s Nicasio Hills upwind presumption successful Marin County measured a upwind gust of 101 mph. 

Several different stations reported gusts good implicit 60 mph past nighttime and into the aboriginal greeting hours of Thursday. Expect 20 to 30 mph gusts done noon arsenic the weaponry cyclone dilatory lifts north. 

Weather models expect winds to driblet disconnected crossed the Bay Area by this afternoon. This downward inclination prompted the National Weather Service to cancel the precocious upwind informing for the region.

Sonoma County closes galore roads overnight

Sonoma County closed astir a twelve roads overnight, mostly successful Santa Rosa, Sebastopol and Valley Ford, according to a county tract of county-maintained roads. 

Fallen histrion displaces Oakland residents

Strong winds knocked down a histrion implicit an flat analyzable successful Oakland’s Fruitvale vicinity connected Wednesday night, displacing residents from an flat complex.

Patty, a nonmigratory astatine the complex, heard a large bang and her powerfulness went retired astatine astir 7 p.m. She thought a transformer had exploded. About 30 minutes later, she said, Oakland constabulary officers showed up to her door, telling her and different residents that they had to leave.

A histrion had fallen connected a gathering astatine her 8-unit analyzable and damaged 2 units. No 1 was injured, she said. Patty and her 3 children packed up their belongings and went searching for a edifice room.”Finding a vacancy successful a edifice is impossible,” the 54-year-old said.

“We were driving astir until similar 1 successful the greeting looking for a spot to stay,” Patty said. 

Patty said this isn’t the archetypal clip a histrion topples implicit her complex. In 2016, during akin upwind conditions, she said a histrion astatine the adjacent Peralta Creek fell connected her flat complex, displacing residents, including herself, for astir a month. 

Avalanche informing issued for Central Sierra, Greater Lake Tahoe Area

Ebbetts Pass to Yuba Pass, including the Greater Lake Tahoe Area, faces “high avalanche danger” from Thursday 7 a.m. to Friday 7 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. “High” is the second-highest level of hazard connected the NWS avalanche scale.

“Strong winds, high-intensity snowfall and dense caller snowfall volition effect successful wide avalanche enactment successful the mountains,” the NWS said. “Any steep slopes could beryllium dangerous.” 

Reno NWS advised that travelers debar question in, adjacent oregon beneath avalanche terrain.

The Sierra Avalanche Center successful Truckee has issued a Backcountry Avalanche Warning for the Central Sierra Nevada Mountains from Ebbetts Pass (CA-4) northbound to Yuba Pass (CA-49), which includes the Greater Lake Tahoe area. High avalanche information volition hap done Friday morning. pic.twitter.com/cWKBPDOrmS

— NWS Reno (@NWSReno) January 5, 2023

Caltrain suspends work betwixt Hillsdale and Millbrae stations

Caltrain is pausing work betwixt its Hillsdale and Millbrae stations “for overmuch of the morning” aft dense rainfall and winds toppled a histrion onto overhead wires successful Burlingame, according to a 4:39 a.m. Caltrain societal media post. Crews request to region the histrion and repair the wires earlier work betwixt the 2 stations tin commencement up again, Caltrain said.

The SamTrans ECR Route connected El Camino tin instrumentality riders betwixt the Hillsdale and Millbrae stations arsenic an alternative, Caltrain said.

Train work volition different depart each 30 minutes from San Francisco and from Tamien successful San Jose with each trains making section stops, Caltrain said. The transit strategy has been reporting wide delays Thursday morning, ranging from 10 minutes to astir an hr and a half, according to its Caltrain Alerts page.

Muni operating shuttles owed to downed tree

San Francisco Muni said Thursday greeting that bus shuttles are operating betwixt the Balboa Park and West Portal bid stations connected the M-Ocean View and K-Ingleside lines. Crews are repairing harm from a downed histrion astatine Junipero Serra Boulevard adjacent Sloat Boulevard from past night's storm. The trains volition proceed to run wrong the subway. Westbound trains volition power backmost astatine West Portal.

Evacuation informing issued for parts of Santa Clara County

Santa Clara County officials issued evacuation warnings for residents surviving astir the Uvas Reservoir and Pacheco Pass River Basin “due to the weather, conditions and risks to the wide nationalist and property,” successful a social media announcement posted precocious Wednesday. The evacuation informing is successful effect successful the pursuing areas:

Near the Pacheco Pass River Basin:

• El Torro Rd South of Highway 152 to Bloomfield Ave

• Lovers Lane betwixt Shore Rd and Highway 152

Near the watershed areas of Uvas Reservoir:

• South of Uvas Reservoir including Thousand Trails RV Park and Uvas Pines RV Park

• South of Sycamore Drive and Watsonville Rd

• Homes southbound of Lions Peak

• South of Day Road and Geri Lane

• Watsonville and Highway 152

How California storms are impacting drought conditions 

No areas of California are successful “exceptional” drought conditions pursuing the New Year’s Eve downpour. Just 2 weeks agone 7.16% of the authorities successful the exceptional level, the astir terrible category, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor released Thursday.

The data, which has not yet accounted for the existent tempest battering California this week, besides shows an 8.4% simplification successful “extreme” drought conditions and a 9.42% simplification successful “severe” drought conditions crossed the state, mostly astir the Central Valley.

A U.S. Drought Monitor representation showing somewhat improved conditions passim the state, acknowledgment successful portion to caller rainfall storms. The representation shows drought conditions up to Jan. 3, meaning the astir caller weaponry cyclone has not yet been accounted for. 

U.S. Drought Monitor

Landslide blocks portion of Highway 1 adjacent Pacifica

Pacifica constabulary said Thursday greeting that a landslide was blocking a lane connected northbound Highway 1, conscionable past Manor Drive. California Highway Patrol was connected the scene, constabulary said. Motorists were advised to debar the country and usage Sharp Park Road arsenic an alternate route. 

TRAFFIC ALERT @Pacifica : NB SR-1 past Manor Dr a landslide is blocking #2 lane. @CHPSanFrancisco connected scene. Avoid area. Use Sharp Park Rd arsenic alt route. #KCBSTRAFFICALERT

— Pacifica Police (@PacificaPolice) January 5, 2023

BART expects delays owed to stormy weather 

BART officials issued an update aboriginal Thursday greeting informing riders to expect delays of up to 20 minutes system-wide owed to upwind conditions. Thursday was expected to bring different time of rainfall and, successful immoderate areas, thunderstorms. 

Latest Bay Area rainfall totals 

A bicycle sits crushed nether a fallen histrion connected Grove Street wherever respective trees fell astir the SF Public Library from precocious winds and dense rainfall successful San Francsico, Calif., connected Wednesday, January 04, 2023. The Bay Area is braced for a almighty tempest successful the adjacent fewer days pursuing a beardown 1 connected December 31st.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

In assessing Wednesday’s tempest that wrecked havoc crossed the Bay Area and up of Thursday’s anticipated downpour, the Bay Area National Weather Service posted 24 hr rainfall totals and maximum upwind speeds arsenic of 4 a.m. Thursday.

• In San Francisco, there’s been 1.44 inches of rain, with upwind gusts reaching 37 mph.
• In Santa Rosa, there’s been 1.87 inches of rain, with upwind gusts reaching 39 mph.
• In San Jose, there’s been 1.45 inches of rain, with upwind gusts reaching 42 mph.
• In Santa Cruz, there’s been 2.45 inches of rain, with upwind gusts reaching 31 mph.

A look astatine 24 hr rainfall totals and max upwind gusts crossed the #bayarea and Central Coast arsenic of 4 a.m. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/mAOZOXyWL1

— NWS Bay Area 🌉 (@NWSBayArea) January 5, 2023

List of storm-related closures

As the weaponry cyclone-fueled tempest walloped the Bay Area connected Wednesday night, immoderate schoolhouse districts and parks crossed the portion said they did not program to unfastened connected Thursday. Here’s the list, which we volition proceed updating.

San Francisco Unified volition unfastened schools Thursday

San Francisco Unified School District announced that schoolhouse volition beryllium successful league arsenic accustomed connected Thursday, Jan. 5. "Based connected the existent forecast, tempest conditions are expected to amended by the morning," it said successful a property release.

Nearly 2 twelve Bay Area schoolhouse districts closed Thursday

The terrible tempest pummeling the Bay Area has truthful acold forced the closure of dozens of nationalist schools crossed the region, affecting 54,000 kids.
So far, 23 schoolhouse districts mostly successful Sonoma and San Mateo counties volition adjacent their campuses for acquisition Thursday. In flood-prone San Mateo County, schools successful each but 1 territory volition beryllium closed Thursday either due to the fact that of the tempest oregon due to the fact that they are inactive successful wintertime break.
Several different schoolhouse districts person told families that schoolhouse closure decisions could hap aboriginal contiguous oregon aboriginal Thursday morning.

Winter tempest informing successful effect for Sierra

A wintertime tempest informing for the westbound slope of the Sierra is happening from present until 4 a.m. Friday. One to 2 feet of snowfall volition beryllium imaginable supra 7000 feet. 8 to 14 inches of snowfall volition beryllium imaginable astir water level. Overnight airy snowfall and thunderstorms volition beryllium possible. Periods of dense snowfall whitethorn hap Thursday. Chain requirements are apt and question volition beryllium difficult.

Flood predictions accrued for Russian River done Sunday

The Russian River astatine Guerneville is forecast to scope a flood signifier of 32 feet by Thursday astatine 7 p.m. Afterwards, the h2o level could dip concisely but past is predicted to emergence again up to astir 40 feet by Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service. In Hopland (Mendocino County), the Russian River is besides forecast to deed a flood level of 15 feet aboriginal Thursday morning. Flows are expected to emergence again connected Saturday afternoon.

Inside S.F.'s exigency response

Police Department were among the metropolis agencies moving Wednesday successful San Francisco’s Emergency Operations Center, wherever the metropolis coordinates its antithetic departments which travel unneurotic to support situational consciousness and to pass the residents of San Francisco.

Felix Uribe, freelance / Special to The Chronicle

After moving remotely during the New Year’s Eve storm, San Francisco’s Emergency Operations squad gathered unneurotic to crippled retired responses to powerfulness outages oregon fallen trees. Here's what it was similar inside the Emergency Operations Center arsenic the tempest landed.