With the exception of a couple of brief showers, cool and dry conditions will prevail Sunday, offering the North Coast a sunny respite amid a week of moderate to heavy rains, wind and possible thunderstorms.
The mild storm that arrived late Friday petered out overnight after bringing roughly a half-inch of rain to Sonoma County's two largest cities and about 1.5 inches in the hills.
Intermittent, light rains brought little in the way of traffic disruptions, according to law enforcement authorities. A mudslide early Saturday morning briefly closed parts of Calistoga Road in Rincon Valley, emergency dispatchers said.
After Sunday's break, Monday morning's commute will be complicated by a new storm front that will bleed into Tuesday and bring strong winds and possible high sea swells along the coast, forecasters said.
"We're expecting the rain to be heavy in the morning at times," said Steve Anderson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey. "Possible thunderstorms are still in the forecast for Tuesday."
If surf swells reach 15 feet as expected, the weather service may issue a surf advisory for late Monday or Tuesday, he said.
Monday's front will likely be through the area by Tuesday night, Anderson said. While another storm is brewing for later in the week, the forecast now calls for clearing by the weekend.
You can reach Staff Writer Elizabeth M. Cosin at 521-5276 or elizabeth.cosin@pressdemocrat.com.
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