California weather: S.F. streets, shops flood as rainfall approaches records - San Francisco Chronicle

Dec. 31, 2022Updated: Dec. 31, 2022 2:36 p.m.

• Atmospheric rivers hitting California volition go adjacent much intense. Here’s however they work
• How tracking atmospheric rivers could alteration California’s reservoir levels

Latest updates connected atmospheric stream interaction crossed Northern California:

Oakland’s Lake Merritt overflowing

Stretches of Oakland’s Lake Merritt appeared to beryllium overflowing arsenic the tempest continues to batter the Bay Area connected Saturday afternoon, according to photos and videos posted connected societal media. “This is the highest h2o level I’ve seen astatine Lake Merritt successful years,” tweeted idiosyncratic @bee_oak.

A video posted connected Twitter shows portions of the lake’s walking way connected the eastbound broadside nether water. Other photos show the water filled to the brim adjacent Harrison Street.

Flooding closes roads successful metropolis of Alameda

Crews were mounting up barricades Saturday day to adjacent roads owed to flooding successful the metropolis of Alameda, officials said connected Facebook.

The closures affected each of Harbor Bay Parkway, the intersection of Main Street and Willie Stargell Avenue, the intersection of Webster Street and Willie Stargell Avenue, and Brush Street.

Officials urged residents to enactment disconnected the roads.

San Francisco rainfall breaks regular all-time record, second-wettest time ever

By noon connected Saturday, San Francisco’s rainfall had already broke the regular grounds for the astir ever recorded connected New Year's Eve, the National Weather Service tweeted. The erstwhile grounds was successful 2005, which was 2.12 inches. Saturday had already seen 2.96 inches arsenic of mid-day. Precipitation records successful downtown San Francisco spell backmost to 1849. Meteorologist Jan Null tweeted that the rainfall full has present reached the 2nd highest successful past for immoderate day. The National Weather Service confirmed that the metropolis has seen 4.78 inches of rainfall — 2nd lone to Nov. 5, 1994, erstwhile 5.54 inches were recorded.

Pedestrians with umbrellas transverse streets astatine Columbus Avenue and Stockton Street successful San Francisco connected Saturday.

Adam Pardee/Special to The Chronicle

Highway 101 expected to reopen Saturday evening, CHP says

California Highway Patrol spokesperson Mark Andrews said the southbound and northbound lanes of Highway 101 astatine Oyster Point are expected to reopen astatine 5 p.m. Saturday. He said precocious tides were a imaginable origin successful the flooding, which caused the road to adjacent astatine 11 a.m.

Cars effort to thrust done flooding waters arsenic precocious arsenic 3 feet on the Northbound 101 successful South San Francisco connected Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022.

Adam Pardee/Special to The Chronicle

Flooding affects streets, stores passim the city

Flooding connected streets successful San Francisco spilled into buildings connected Saturday afternoon. In the Mission, the level of Gus’s Community Market was covered successful h2o portion Cesar Chavez thoroughfare adjacent Highway 101 was wholly flooded, according to CHP. Residents reported flooding each implicit the city, including successful the Embarcadero, the Marina, Diamond Heights, the Sunset, the Mission and SoMa.

Expect system-wide delays connected BART

BART said riders should expect up to 20-minute delays system-wide connected Saturday due to the fact that of the rainy conditions. “There is simply a large hold strategy wide owed to trains with mechanical issues and bedewed upwind conditions,” officials tweeted. “Please ticker your measurement connected bedewed platforms and stairways.”

Residents of Wilton (Sacramento County) urged to evacuate arsenic waters rise

Emergency unit are “warning residents surviving successful Wilton to permission the country now. Rising h2o whitethorn spill implicit onto the nearest roadways and chopped disconnected entree to permission the area,” the Sacramento part of the Office of Emergency Services tweeted. More than 5,000 radical unrecorded successful Wilton.

Ski edifice successful South Lake Tahoe closes for the day

The Heavenly Ski Resort successful Lake Tahoe was closed conscionable earlier 11 a.m. Saturday due to the fact that of powerfulness outages connected the Nevada broadside of the resort, edifice officials said. “Power is besides flickering successful California, with buried lifts and snowfall information enactment to beryllium done,” officials wrote successful a Facebook post.

Resort operations successful Nevada volition apt beryllium closed Sunday successful Nevada arsenic crews enactment to reconstruct power. Officials said they anticipation to unfastened a “limited footprint” successful California connected Sunday if capable repairs are done.

Sonoma County flood informing extended until 2:30 p.m.

A flood informing issued for Sonoma County that was meant to expire astatine 10:30 a.m. was extended until 2:30 p.m. connected Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Flooding was already occurring successful the area, particularly astir rivers, creeks, streams, and different low-lying locations.

“Streams proceed to emergence owed to excess runoff from earlier rainfall,” the informing said. “Low-water crossings are inundated with h2o and whitethorn not beryllium passable.”

Locations affected see Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Novato, Rohnert Park, Windsor, Healdsburg, Sonoma, Cloverdale, Sebastopol, Cotati, Larkfield-Wikiup, Roseland, South Santa Rosa CDP, Boyes Hot Springs, Black Point-Green Point, Forestville, Guerneville, Graton, Occidental and Monte Rio.

Flood advisories — upgraded from flood watches — were besides issued for San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and Santa Cruz counties. Flood advisories are issued erstwhile flooding is not expected to beryllium atrocious capable to contented a informing but whitethorn origin important inconvenience.

Highway 101 successful South San Francisco closed indefinitely successful some directions

Southbound and northbound lanes of Highway 101 successful South San Francisco were closed indefinitely Saturday greeting owed to large flooding that caused a postulation jam adjacent the SFO exit, the California Highway Patrol tweeted.

Drivers were urged to either usage I-280 arsenic an alternate way oregon debar the country arsenic crews enactment to wide the highway.

Storm causes roadworthy flooding, closures crossed Bay Area

Rain pounding the Bay Area connected Saturday greeting has wreaked havoc for travelers crossed the region, forcing closures connected roadways and highways owed to flooding and mudslides. Officials said drivers should expect delays and instrumentality antithetic routes.

In San Mateo County, flooding astatine Oyster Point connected Highway 101 caused the road to beryllium unopen indefinitely successful some directions and unleashed monolithic postulation backups. Caltrans crews were moving to wide the drains, said California Highway Patrol spokesperson Mark Andrews.

Several roads successful the cities of Belmont, Foster City and San Mateo are flooded, according to the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department. “Be harmless and enactment location if you can,” fire officials tweeted.

CHP and CalTrans artifact disconnected aggregate lanes arsenic flooding gets arsenic precocious arsenic 3 feet on the Southbound 101 successful South San Francisco connected Saturday.

Adam Pardee/Special to The Chronicle

Highway 1 adjacent Big Sur closed owed to stone slides astatine aggregate locations

A ample agelong of Highway 1 successful Monterey County was indefinitely closed Saturday greeting owed to stone slides reported astatine aggregate locations on the highway, said Caltrans officials. The road volition beryllium closed from Ragged Point successful San Luis Obispo County to Big Sur successful Monterey County portion crews enactment to wide the debris, officials said. Caltrans officials said they had initially closed the road connected Friday owed to a stone descent conscionable southbound of the Esalen Institute.

Sierra skis lifts closed owed to dense snowfall and winds

Northstar Ski Resort successful Truckee enactment respective lifts connected clasp Saturday morning, the edifice tweeted. Palisades Tahoe said most of its chairs were connected hold but immoderate lifts are operating astatine Alpine Meadows.

Pedestrians locomotion on a roadworthy arsenic a snowfall plow works successful South Lake Tahoe, Calif. connected Saturday.

Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

Muir Woods, Alcatraz among the outdoor sites closed

Closures Saturday owed to the tempest see Muir Woods, Point Bonita Lighthouse, Nike Site, Tennessee Valley Beach, the Golden Gate Bridge place astatine the precocious extremity of Conzelman Road, and the Fort Point Historic Site, according to tweets from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Crews “are responding to flooding and downed trees successful galore Marin County parkland sites.” The GGNRA besides closed Alcatraz Island successful the precocious morning.

Flooding, debris forces closure connected road successful Half Moon Bay

Highway 92 is closed betwixt the Lower Lakes country and Main Street successful Half Moon Bay owed to flooding and debris, according to San Mateo County sheriff’s officials. Motorists were urged to thrust safely connected roadways and to instrumentality alternate routes. It was not instantly known what clip the road volition reopen, officials tweeted. Flooding successful sections from Skyline Boulevard to Main Street successful Half Moon Bay was earlier reported successful a tweet from CalFire.

HAPPENING NOW: Highway 92 is flooded successful sections from Skyline Blvd to Main Street successful @CityofHMB. That conception of road is being unopen down. No estimated clip to reopen. #CaWx pic.twitter.com/4Oi70wenH0

More than 30,000 PG&E customers without powerfulness passim California

Saturday’s tempest prompted respective powerfulness outages crossed aggregate counties successful bluish California, leaving much than 30,000 customers without power, though powerfulness is expected to beryllium restored successful galore of the larger outages by noon. PG&E officials said Friday that they had been preparing for problems caused by the tempest and had other crews acceptable to spell to the areas astir apt to beryllium affected. Check for outages and estimated restoration times here.

Heavy rainfall floods roadways, car submerged successful Belmont

Heavy rainfall connected Saturday greeting was causing flooding connected respective roadways. On Harbor Blvd. successful Belmont, a car was submerged successful h2o underneath an underpass astatine Old County road, police tweeted. While everyone was good successful that incident, constabulary warned that h2o levels proceed to rise. “Please usage alternate routes and debar question if you can!” officials wrote.

Water levels continuing to rise. Thankfully everyone is good successful this incident. Please usage alternate routes and debar question if you can! pic.twitter.com/6a2SlTjSBi

Lake Tahoe remains nether wintertime tempest warning

The National Weather Service issued a winter tempest warning for the Lake Tahoe country that is acceptable to past done 4 a.m. Sunday. The informing said that heavy snowfall passim Saturday would bring an further 5 to 10 inches to the area, with 1-2 feet for elevations implicit 7,000 feet and 2 to 3 feet for elevations implicit 8,000 feet. On apical of that, the informing said, upwind gusts volition beryllium up to 100 miles per hr crossed the Sierra ridgelines and 35 mph successful little elevations. “Travel could beryllium precise hard to impossible,” the informing said. “Strong winds could origin histrion harm and pb to powerfulness outages.”

Multiple accidents on Highway 280

The North County Fire Authority, which serves Brisbane, Daly City and Pacifica, tweeted that determination had been aggregate conveyance accidents on 280 connected Saturday morning. Around 6 a.m., each southbound lanes were closed wherever 280 meets Highway 380 for astir a fractional hr earlier a tow motortruck arrived to wide it up, it said. The occurrence authorization asked that radical set their velocity accordingly with the upwind conditions.

Wind advisories successful effect

Wind advisories were successful effect crossed the Bay Area Saturday morning. The highest upwind gusts recorded truthful acold were 63 miles per hr atop Loma Prieta successful Santa Clara County, the National Weather work said. Gusts ranging from 44 mph to 62 mph were reported crossed the Bay Area.

Latest rainfall totals crossed Bay Area

The National Weather Service released its 24-hour rainfall totals for Friday, the archetypal time of the wintertime storm, and Mt. Tamalpais was the wide standout, having already deed 4.8 inches of rain. The Santa Cruz mountains came adjacent astatine 3.67 inches, portion the much mountainous parts of the East and North Bay areas hovered astir 2.5 inches of rain. Most of the much populous parts of the Bay Area remained nether oregon astir 1 inch of rainfall arsenic of 2 a.m. connected Saturday, but the heaviest rainfall had lone conscionable started, according to the upwind work — the bulk of it is expected this morning.

Longer word forecast shows much rainfall owed adjacent week

The atmospheric stream that’s been liable for this week’s back-to-back wintertime storms volition dilatory fizzle retired by Sunday, leaving down a soaked Golden State. But aft a little interruption from the rain, much bedewed upwind is successful store. The European and American upwind models awesome a beardown west-to-east jet stream crossed the Pacific Ocean with winds that volition funnel rounds of moisture from the tropics toward North America. Some of the moisture volition interruption disconnected from the travel and the plumes of moisture volition narrow, evolving into atmospheric rivers that volition yet scope the West Coast. This past week’s atmospheric stream helped fuel two wintertime storms. In the coming week, upwind models are anticipating a repeat, but with 2 atmospheric rivers. 

Read much about the forecast for the archetypal week of January from meteorologist Gerry Díaz.

When volition the rainfall peak?

This weekend’s tempest doorway is wide unfastened successful California, with a unreserved of moisture from the tropics -often called the pineapple explicit — expected to instrumentality purpose astatine the Bay Area and astir of Southern California implicit the people of New Year’s Eve.

Gerry Díaz / Weatherbell

This week, rain astir the Bay Area dropped “1 to 4 inches,” which has saturated the soil, according to NWS meteorologist Brooke Bingaman. “The highest benignant of interest for time is betwixt 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. (Saturday), that is erstwhile the much organized acold fronts going to determination through,” she said. “The bully quality is that it volition determination done quickly. The atrocious quality is it is going to battalion a small spot of a punch.”

That punch, Bingaman said, volition beryllium the winds associated with Saturday morning’s acold beforehand expected to deed 20 to 30 mph with gusts betwixt 40 and 50 mph.

Chronicle newsroom meteorologist Gerry Díaz wrote successful his forecast for the play that the signifier is acceptable for “excessive rainfall connected the seashore and bays,” and “heavy snowfall successful the Sierra Nevada and Southern California mountains,” arsenic good arsenic “a statewide tempest strategy that volition wreak havoc connected question plans for New Year’s Eve.”

This representation shows wherever it rained the astir this week

Winter storms fueled by an atmospheric stream person drenched California this week, adding up to important rainfall successful immoderate areas. From 4 a.m. connected Dec. 23 to the aforesaid clip connected Dec. 30, astir of San Francisco saw astir 3 inches of rain, portion astir 8 inches fell successful Sonoma County, northbound of the Russian River. Even much rainfall fell farther northbound successful the state. To spot wherever successful California felt the brunt of the storms and find retired however overmuch rainfall fell successful your area, see our elaborate map.

Entire Bay Area nether flood ticker up of the weekend

A flood ticker volition beryllium successful effect for the Bay Area from Friday evening to Saturday evening arsenic more rainfall arrives successful the region, according to the National Weather Service. Moderate to dense rainfall is expected during that clip frame, and it could beryllium much than already saturated soils tin absorb. Rapid rises of rivers, streams and creeks are expected, the National Weather Service said, and municipality areas and roadways with mediocre drainage whitethorn spot flooding. Read much astir prospects for flood conditions successful low-lying areas.

Will crab play statesman today?

The wintertime storms added uncertainty to the motorboat of the commercialized Dungeness crab season, which was owed to unfastened aboriginal Saturday greeting aft aggregate delays. Many fishers told the Chronicle that they didn't cognize if it would beryllium imaginable to present crab successful clip for New Year’s Eve celebrations owed to the mediocre weather.

Even if the fishers win today, galore seafood buyers volition beryllium closed for the New Year’s holiday. The soonest astir radical tin expect to spot section Dungeness crab successful stores is aboriginal adjacent week, though immoderate bigger boats that tin grip the upwind and smaller ones that merchantability straight disconnected of the vessel could marque it retired successful clip for a New Year’s Eve harvest. Read much astir the launch of crab season.