North Coast braces for rain, wind, possible flooding

A sub-tropical storm is expected to drench the North Coast starting late Wednesday, bringing high winds and potential flooding over a 24-hour period.

The so-called Pineapple Express will drop up to 3 inches of rain on Santa Rosa and as much as 5 inches on the coastal mountains, National Weather Service forecaster Bob Benjamin said.

“It’s going to hit pretty hard,” Benjamin said. “Thursday could get ugly.”

Gusts could reach 25 mph, toppling trees and power lines, he said.

The Russian River will remain within its banks but small streams could flood, spilling into yards and roads, he said.

“If you’re in an area prone to power outages, make sure you have extra batteries, water and things like that,” he said. “There’s a high likelihood of trees going down, taking power lines.”

The CHP was urging motorists to use caution when driving during the deluge. Officer Jon Sloat warned people not to cross flooded roadways.

“We’ll be keeping an eye on places around the county that normally flood,” Sloat said.

The storm will move east sometime Friday, bringing heavy snow to the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada, Benjamin said.

Drier, cooler weather will come this weekend. Low temperatures could drop below freezing Saturday and Sunday, Benjamin said.

Since the weather season began Oct. 1, Santa Rosa has had just over 14 inches of rain, or 159 percent above average precipitation. Last year at this time, Santa Rosa had just over 4 inches. Rain over the next two days could push the total over twice the average amount, Benjamin said.

“For rain connoisseurs, this has been an excellent year,” he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 707-568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com.