Unusual Weather Patterns Bring Unpredictable Rainfall to Bay Area Scattered thunderstorms swept through the North Bay on Wednesday afternoon, setting the stage for what meteorologists described as a wet night across the Bay Area. A narrow band of moderate rain, spanning 50 to 100 miles wide, was expected to move over the region late Wednesday through Thursday morning. While the exact placement of this rain band remained uncertain, its potential to deliver significant totals—by late May standards—sparked cautious anticipation. The storm system already unleashed thunderstorms across the North Bay, Diablo Range, and Santa Cruz Mountains during the afternoon, but the precipitation was expected to spread more broadly, albeit with reduced intensity, after nightfall. Steady rain was anticipated to begin in the North Bay following sunset, expanding to cover the entire region after midnight. Light to moderate rainfall was projected to persist through midmorning, with scattered showers potentially redeveloping on Thursday afternoon, particularly over the East Bay hills, Diablo Range, and Santa Cruz Mountains. Weather models indicated that moderate rain would affect the coast and light rain would spread to other areas early Thursday. Forecasted rainfall totals varied significantly, with San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose expected to receive between one-tenth and one-quarter inch of rain. In contrast, Santa Rosa, Half Moon Bay, the Berkeley Hills, Diablo Range, and Santa Cruz Mountains could see up to half an inch. These amounts would be unusually high for late May, as San Francisco typically records only 0.02 inches of rain daily during this period. The city had not experienced more than a quarter-inch of precipitation this late in spring since 2011.#national_weather_service #san_francisco #bay_area #san_jose #diablo_range
