Sonoma County rain expected to taper off over weekend

Wet weather along the North Coast that is expected to drive seasonal rainfall totals into the normal range will taper off Saturday and be replaced by mostly dry conditions into next week, forecasters said.

Friday night showers are expected to drop up to an inch of rain at the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport and more on the coastal mountains, National Weather Service meteorologist Bob Benjamin said.

When the clouds lift, totals will likely be at the 19-inch mark that is considered normal for this time of year, Benjamin said. On Friday, measurements at the county airport surpassed last year’s total through Jan. 22, but remained just short of the average for this time of year.

Benjamin said more rain is needed to reverse the effects of four years of drought. It’s too soon to assess other factors such as snowfall in the Sierra Nevada, runoff and retention, Benjamin said.

“We’re not going to be busting the drought just by reaching normal,” he said. “But it looks like all the factors are heading in a positive direction. We may go from being in an extreme drought to just a drought.”

Snow is expected this weekend at mountain resorts, he said.

Friday night’s rain is the second of two bands that began moving across Northern California on Thursday. The first band brought 1.4 inches to Sonoma County’s coastal mountains and less than a half-inch to the airport, Benjamin said.

Following light showers and a possible thunderstorm Saturday, dry weather is forecast for Sunday, he said.

There’s a slight chance of drizzle Monday but it’s expected to be mostly clear until late next week, he said.

As of Thursday, Santa Rosa was at 96 percent of normal seasonal rainfall. Friday’s rain was expected to push it over that mark. Storms in the next week to 10 days would drive it to the above-normal range, he said.

“We’re nearly normal,” Benjamin said. “Certainly within the next couple of days we will be above normal for this time of year.”

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