Detailed Information on Wednesday Storm

Hello everyone and thank you for taking time out of your day to listen to this quick video about a storm system forecast to impact the region on Wednesday. This presentation will be a bit different compared to the past few presentations because it will focus strictly on Wednesday’s storm. My name is Christine Riley and I am a forecaster at the National Weather Service office in Monterey, CA and my name is Warren Blier, Science and Operations Officer at the office, and we hope that you gain knowledge about the storm projected to impact the area on Wednesday. Here is a detailed look at the arrival of steady rain over the region. The North Bay will likely begin to see steady rain by late morning, while the rest of the area will see steady rain by the late afternoon hours. However, keep in mind that a few scattered showers may be present ahead of the steady rain. Rain will continue over the area into early Thursday morning. Here is the rainfall accumulation expected through Thursday morning. Again, you will notice that many valley locations will see between a third of an inch to an inch of rain, while the higher elevations will see between one and two inches of rain. A total of three inches of rain is not out of the question for south facing, higher elevation locations, such as parts of the Santa Cruz mountains as well as the Big Sur coast. One of the biggest changes to the forecast over the past few days was the addition of thunderstorms. A few of the short term models have been consistent with the possibility of thunderstorms beginning Wednesday evening and continuing into the overnight hours. This image shows the Day 2 Convective Outlook from our friends at the Storm Prediction Center, which has our entire area highlighted for the possibility of thunderstorms. Last, but not least, south winds will be gusty beginning Wednesday afternoon and continuing into late Wednesday night. Generally, wind gusts between 10 and 20 mph will be possible through many of the valley locations, with wind gusts to over 30 mph over the higher elevations, especially through Monterey and San Benito counties. The biggest impacts from this storm will be ponding of water on roadways and urban flooding due to brief heavy downpours, especially Wednesday evening into the overnight hours. Also, the gusty winds over the area may result in downed trees and power lines. Please take extra caution while driving during the evening commute on Wednesday and allow extra time to get home. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook for up to the minute information before, during, and after this storm. Thank you so much for your time and have a great day from your friends at the National Weather Service office in Monterey, CA.