Storm drops half-inch of rain on Santa Rosa

A spring storm brought much-needed rain to Sonoma County overnight, but it left almost as quickly as it arrived.

Most areas of Sonoma County received between half an inch and an inch of rain overnight - about twice as much as early forecasts suggested.

National Weather Service meteorologist Steve Anderson said forecasters ramped up expectations Friday evening when their computers “all of a sudden had this half-inch bullseye over the whole Bay Area.”

Locally, Occidental came in on top with 1.03 inches, Anderson said. Along the Russian River, Monte Rio logged 0.79 of an inch of rainfall, while Guerneville got 0.60 of an inch, he said. Santa Rosa and Healdsburg were closer to half an inch, while Petaluma got 0.62 of an inch.

“It was the perfect April shower,” Anderson said, “keep the wildflowers blooming just a little bit longer, maybe greening up the grass just a tad.”

But the skies had cleared by morning, and there is no more rain on the horizon.

Here is the National Weather Service forecast for Santa Rosa for the upcoming week:

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. West wind 7 to 9 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 43. West northwest wind 9 to 14 mph becoming light north northwest after midnight.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 77. Northwest wind 3 to 7 mph.

Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 48. North northwest wind 6 to 10 mph.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Northwest wind around 6 mph.

Monday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 76.

Tuesday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 75.

Wednesday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 44.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 74.

Thursday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 44.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 75.