San Mateo County residents can expect heavy rainfall — approximately an inch and a half of water — on Monday and Tuesday of next week, according to the National Weather Service.
Preliminary estimates suggest that the storm is expected to clear up by the end of the week, with scattered residual rainfall on Wednesday, National Weather Service meteorologist Dylan Flynn said.
The incoming storm, which is hitting the Bay Area from the north, is the first major rainfall of the year and will likely make Redwood City’s October rain count double the average.
“The most notable thing about this is it’s October,” Flynn said. “If this was happening in January or February, it would be run of the mill.”
Anyone on the roads — particularly Tuesday morning, when rainfall is expected to be at its heaviest — should drive with extra caution, as first rainfalls often bring oils to the surface of asphalt and make roads particularly slippery.
“This first heavy rain of the year can often be the most dangerous driving conditions,” Flynn said. “Give yourself more time to get where you’re going.”
In general, however, the upcoming storm should present as a largely normal rain event, and flooding is unlikely because creek beds and rivers are currently low on rain because of the dry summer months.
“This isn’t the end of the world. The most notable thing about this — and there’s a lot of hype online about this — is that it’s in October,” Flynn said. “We’ve all seen this before. This isn’t something crazy.”
Getting extra, early rainfall will also offer the area some positives, Flynn said. With fire season winding to a close, a large storm will put an “exclamation point” on its ending, and fill reservoirs that are low from the summer with extra rainfall.
It’s likely too soon to make a larger prediction regarding upcoming winter weather. A La Niña advisory has been issued, which often means drier weather in Southern California and colder in the Pacific Northwest. Because the Bay Area is between those two areas, La Niña weather can vary by year in the region, Flynn said.
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