More rain to hit the Bay Area while fresh powder falls over the Sierra Nevada

A line of storms that ushered in a chilly, soggy start to December should continue to move across Northern California early this week, offering more chances for rain in the Bay Area and a fresh coat of powder over the Sierra Nevada.

One-third to a half-inch of rain could still fall over lower-lying portions of the Bay Area through Tuesday morning — further boosting already healthy rainfall totals over the past several days. Another three-quarters of an inch of rain could fall over the coastal mountains, particularly in Sonoma County, said Brayden Murdock, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

To the east, another 1 to 2 feet of snow is possible over parts of the Sierra Nevada, prompting travel warnings for the high country and slick, dangerous travel conditions for skiers seeking to take advantage of the wintry weather.

“We’re in a good spot right now to start off the rainy season,” Murdock said. “We’d like to see more of this.”

It’s all owed to a ridge of low pressure that is expected to move across Northern California, bringing more chances for rain and snow over the next couple of days. Already, nearly the entire Bay Area saw rain overnight Saturday into early Sunday morning, according to rain gauges maintained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Between a quarter and a third of an inch of rain fell over Oakley, Brentwood and the summit of Mount Diablo from about 8 p.m. Saturday through 8 a.m. Sunday, the agency reported. Nearly a tenth of an inch of rain fell over Oakland, while San Francisco and San Jose saw a few hundreds of an inch of fresh precipitation. More than a half-inch of rain fell over the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Already, Northern California has been graced with plentiful rainfall over the last several days.

From Wednesday through early Sunday morning, 1 to 2 inches of rain fell over most of the lower-lying parts of the Bay Area, including San Francisco, Oakland and the Santa Clara Valley. Even more rain fell over the Santa Cruz Mountains, which saw 3 to nearly 5 inches of rain over that time.

The highest rainfall totals were centered around Big Sur and the southern end of Monterey County, which saw upwards of 10 to 11 inches of rain the past several days. The abundant moisture caused a rockslide that closed a portion of Highway 1 between Ragged Point and Big Sur.

About 8 to 14 inches of snow fell over the crest of the Sierra Nevada on Saturday, while snow levels dropped to 4,500 to 5,500 feet across much of Northern California, said Hannah Chandler-Cooley, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

At least 1 to 2 feet of additional snow is forecast to fall over the northern portion of the Sierra Nevada through Monday afternoon — adding to a base of about 2 to 3 feet of snow across much of the area, Chandler-Cooley said.

“We’re still highly discouraging travel through tomorrow,” Chandler-Cooley said.

Despite all of that rain, far more moisture is needed to make any sort of sizeable dent in the withering, yearslong drought gripping the state. Almost all of the Bay Area is classified as being in a severe drought, according to the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor report, which was issued Thursday morning. Parts of east Contra Costa County, along with the entire Sacramento River Valley, were in extreme drought.

“We’re making great progress on this year so far, but again we’ve been in a deficit for years now,” Murdock said. “As far as really wiping out the lack of rain we’ve had the last few seasons, it’s going to take a lot. It’s an uphill battle.”