Powerful Storm Arrives Early Wednesday

Think of today as the somewhat calm before the storm. We’ll stay cloudy, and some mist and drizzle, especially along the coast, will stick around this morning. We also have some dense patchy fog in spots this morning, so take it easy behind the wheel. Later this afternoon, high temperatures will reach the mid 40s, and the clouds stick around.

Things get considerably more active as our next storm arrives right around midnight tonight. This storm is powerful, and contains a lot of moisture. By your morning commute on Wednesday, showers turn to heavy rain, and the wind kicks up. Expect rounds of heavy rain throughout the day, and even a few rumbles of thunder as well. We’re expecting between 2-3″ of rain total with this storm– a significant amount compared to what we’ve seen as of late. The good news in that, is that this rain could significantly help our drought conditions. The bad news is that we could see some localized flooding. Make sure you’re staying tuned to the forecast, and before the rain even begins, have a plan in case flooding happens near you!

The other threat from this storm is the wind. Speeds will be considerable– between 20-30 mph at times– and gusts could get up to 60 mph at times. Between the gusty winds and saturated ground, it wouldn’t be a shock to see small/weak trees come down on power lines. Make sure your electronic devices are charged ahead of time in case of power outages.

We stay windy even after the last of the precipitation is gone on Thursday. We’ll have an “upside-down” day in terms of temperatures. We’ll be in the 40s in the very early hours of the morning. But as cold air flies in from the north, temperatures will fall to the upper 30s by the afternoon. Friday will be calm, bright and sunny, but cold. High temperatures will only reach the mid 30s.