Rain spreads over parched Bay Area

Rain is expected Saturday in much of the Bay Area and might continue through the weekend and into next week, according to the National Weather Service.

The rain began after 10 p.m. as low temperatures hovered around 54 degrees with southwest winds around 6 miles per hour. The chance of precipitation is 80 percent, officials at the National Weather Service said.

On Saturday, the chance of precipitation rises to 90 percent, dropping down to 70 percent Saturday evening. Those conditions are likely to continue on Sunday, decreasing to a 40 percent chance of rain on Sunday night.

The chance of rain drops further to 30 percent or below on Monday but National Weather Service officials said showers are likely throughout the week.

National Weather Service meteorologist Logan Johnson said the upcoming rainfall would be beneficial to the Bay Area, which has been undergoing a three-year drought:

“While it may provide some short-term benefits, it is only just a step in the right direction. … California’s present drought has evolved over several years’ worth of rainfall deficits, and one storm will not completely end the significant impacts across the state.”

Johnson said it was important for Californians to conserve water and heed the advice of statewide water management agencies, despite any short-term improvements:

“It will take several more storms in the next few months to make a significant or long-lasting improvement to California’s drought conditions.”