Slow-moving storm causes power outages and flight cancellations

A storm that moved slowly into the Bay Area Monday has stalled out over the North Bay, dumping heavy rain and blasting the region with high winds during a 24-hour period, according to the National Weather Service. Most of the rain from the storm has been confined to the North Bay, with widespread precipitation totals in the area ranging from 3.5 to 5.5 inches as of Tuesday morning, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Cynthia Palmer.

Several places were hit with up to 9 inches of rain and an area just south of Cazadero in Sonoma County endured close to 12.5 inches, Palmer said.

“The North Bay is really still under the gun,” Palmer said. “We’re calling for another 3 inches to 5 inches of rain up there. They’re not done yet.”

While the largest impacts so far have been felt by communities in the North Bay, rain and winds ranging from 40 mph to 60 mph have whipped though many parts of the Bay Area, downing power lines and inconveniencing airline passengers.

San Francisco International Airport reported 137 cancellations and 118 delays, mostly affecting short-haul flights, according to SFO airport duty manager Jeff Rocheford.

PG&E reported that as of 9 a.m. Tuesday, nearly 11,300 customers had been impacted by storm-related power outages, with a majority of those on the Peninsula.

“As another storm impacts Northern California, customers should be prepared for potential outages related to wet and windy weather the next few days,” PG&E meteorologist Mike Voss said.

PG&E is reminding people to stay away from downed power lines, stock up on emergency supplies and unplug or turn off appliances during a power outage to avoid overloading circuits and prevent fire hazards when power is restored.

The brunt of the storm will hit through Tuesday night, with some lingering showers throughout the day Wednesday and Wednesday night.

“We should get a bit of a break Thursday and Friday, but we will get another storm Friday evening into Saturday,” Palmer said. “I don’t think we’re going to see near as much (rain) out of this next one, from a half inch to one inch in most places. It’s a fast-moving system.”