After several days of promised rain that didn't amount to much, Friday should bring a healthy amount of precipitation that could reach into the weekend in the Bay Area.
While the rain underperformed in what was projected to be a largely wet week in the Bay Area, a grand finale of sorts was confidently predicted to touch down on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
Rainfall over a 24-hour period between noon Wednesday and noon Thursday showed just .07 inches of rain in San Jose, .06 in San Francisco and .05 in Oakland — contrary to forecasts that showed the possibility of as much as three-quarters of an inch. NWS meteorologist Roger Gass said the week trended drier and drier as predictions were updated.
“The next round is going to come down (Friday) afternoon with more substantial rainfall,” NWS meteorologist Roger Gass said.
ICYMI:
Here are the Day 1 (Thursday) and Day 2 (Friday) Convective Outlooks. Here's the statewide view showing it's not just the Bay Area with a mention for thunder. #cawx pic.twitter.com/MxgAJNrPxU
— NWS Bay Area
(@NWSBayArea) November 16, 2023
Gass said rain-shadowed valleys, like the Santa Clara Valley and the interior East Bay, could pick up around a third of an inch of rain on Friday while San Francisco, Oakland and Concord could see more than an inch each.
Strong wind gusts paired with the rain could reach more than 20 mph in the South Bay. Winds were expected to be calmer in the East Bay and on the Peninsula, with gusts remaining in the low teens.
Another potential addition to the stormy end of the week could be thunder and lightning.
“We’re carrying a slight chance of thunderstorms through this event,” he said. “There are periods of breaks in the thunderstorm chances but largely, we’re going to carry them (through Saturday).”
Any rain falling on Friday could linger into the weekend, according to the NWS. Chances of showers were likely on Saturday, with up to a quarter-inch expected in Oakland, Concord in the morning hours. That range tumbled to a tenth of an inch in the South Bay and on the Peninsula, though those thunderstorms could bring unanticipated bouts of heavy rain.
“Saturday won’t be dry by any means,” Gass said. “The first part of the day is going to be rain showers coming through and tapering off by the night time.”
While rain was anticipated through Saturday, temperatures won’t drop dramatically. Daytime highs of 71 degrees on Friday and 68 on Saturday were forecast in San Jose, alongside predictions of 69 and 66 in Oakland, 67 and 66 in Concord, 69 and 67 in San Francisco and 70 and 68 in Palo Alto.
