Cloudy week forecast, but little rain expected

<p>Cloud cover, intermittent drizzle and a chance of showers for the next week may suggest Sonoma County is finally in for serious rain at last.</p><p>But forecasters say that those hoping to escape the dry weather blues should think again.</p><p>"It doesn't look like it's going to be a major thing," AccuWeather Inc. forecaster Andrew Ulrich said.</p><p>Ulrich predicted "half an inch at most" of rain by the middle of next week, when another sunny, dry pattern should set up.</p><p>National Weather Service forecaster Steve Anderson said the rainfall "would not be significant."</p><p>Both forecasters said Wednesday night and this morning offered the brightest hope for enough moisture to prevent a new record for the lowest January rainfall ever.</p><p>"It will definitely wet the ground," said Ulrich, a meteorologist with the private, Pennsylvania-based AccuWeather.</p><p>Anderson predicted up to two-tenths of an inch of rain by this afternoon. Beyond that, it's anyone guess, he said.</p><p>"What's happening is this low is going to park itself off the North Coast and just kind of spin around," he said, "and it's really unknown what days it's going to rain and how much."</p><p>As of 4 p.m. Wednesday Santa Rosa needed nine-hundredths of an inch by Jan. 31 to avoid a new record for the driest January ever.</p><p>The record, set in 1976, was .39 inches of rain. The records go back to 1888.</p><p>Santa Rosa received .01 inches Wednesday for a total of .30 inch in January.</p><p>In the meantime, Santa Rosa's season-to-date rainfall from July 1, 2008, through Wednesday stood at 6.21 inches, less than half what it should be, Anderson said.</p><p>"Normal is 15.13 inches" through Jan. 20, he said.</p><p>Though Sonoma County will remain far off the pace for normal, there remains the possibility of a few light showers off and on through the weekend, with a few lingering until Tuesday or Wednesday next week.</p><p>As for the record?</p><p>"It's going to be close," Anderson said. "It's going to be close."</p><p>Staff Researcher Teresa Meikle contributed to this report. You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan at 521-5249 or mary.callahan</p><p>@pressdemocrat.com.</p>