SAN JOSE >> As California endures one of the driest Decembers in decades, a storm system may deliver rain to the northern part of the state and snow to the Sierra Nevada beginning this afternoon.
The quick-moving moving system is expected to deliver as much as a half-inch of rain to the Bay Area, with the highest totals expected in the North Bay, according to Will Pi, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
“There’s a pretty good chance of rain,” Pi said. “It’s not going to be a big storm; just enough moisture to give us a little bit of rain in the area.”
According to Accuweather forecasts, wet weather will dip into Lake County with a passing shower this afternoon, followed by periods of rain at night. Although midday precipitation will be minimal, evening spells will deposit a quarter of an inch near the lake, perhaps more at higher elevations.
The Sierra Nevada may be the greatest beneficiary, as the storm could deliver between 3 to 6 inches of snow, according to the weather service.
“It’s aiming more toward the Sierra,” Pi said. “They have an even better chance of getting some precipitation out of it.”
The storm system, which is dropping down from the Pacific Northwest, could deliver about one-quarter of an inch of rain around San Francisco, Pi said. Rainfall will be brief in duration and may occur mostly overnight, according to the weather service.
So far this December, a huge ridge of unusually high atmospheric pressure set up shop over the West Coast and blocked all storm systems from delivering precipitation to California. Through Monday, much of the Bay Area was experiencing one of the driest Decembers on record.
The last rain registered by the Accuweather monitor in Lakeport was just a trace amount on December 3. In a typical December, Lakeport receives 4.81 inches.
Pi said the ridge will break down enough to allow this Tuesday’s storm, and then re-build offshore and create another stretch of dry weather.
