At Last, Some Rain for the West

When was the last time San Francisco had beneficial rainfall?  It's been a while.  Sure, it rained on December 20th....but only 0.13" fell.  The last significant rainfall occurred on November 16th with 1.48" adding up in the downtown rain gauge.  In fact, San Francisco has been unusually dry since Fall.  Normally, the City by the Bay expects 9.20" of rain between September 1st and January 1st.  However, only 3.39" had fallen in that time frame.  Never fear, San Francisco, rain is on the way! Late Wednesday through Friday, rounds of showers and some embedded thunderstorms will pass through the Bay Area.  Rain totals may add up between a half-inch and an inch in San Francisco proper.  Other areas of northern California, such as the Coastal Ranges, may see one to two inches of rain. This showery weather will invade the Pacific Northwest as well.  This will mainly be a rain event as temperatures have been and will remain above normal across the West.  Only the highest elevations of the Cascade Mountains and Olympic Mountains can expect some snowfall.  Signs point to another chance of rain by early next week.  It is the rainy season after all.  Hopefully those cities running behind will begin to catch up! -Meteorologist Joe Astolfi