Weather service rejoices in ‘slow and steady’ rainfall with forecast this week

With rain totals Saturday night and Sunday of a half-inch or more in many parts of the Bay Area, and much more than that in the coastal mountain areas, the area got a good soaking, and with little risk of mudslides in areas burned by wildfires a few short months ago.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Matt Mehle said:

“If we were to request rainfall, this was the best way to get it, slow and steady over an extended period of time.”

And more rain is forecast for the Bay Area as early as Tuesday night, and very likely by Wednesday morning, Mehle said.

Mount Tamalpais recorded 2.77 inches of rain from Saturday night through Sunday night, and the Ben Lomond area in Santa Cruz County recorded 1.56 inches during that same period.

Other measured rain totals included .78 inches in the north Oakland Hills, .75 inches in San Francisco, .56 inches in Hayward, .36 inches in Concord; .34 inches in San Jose, .22 inches in San Carlos and .18 inches in Petaluma.

Mehle said:

“Showers were sort of scattered, so amount totals varied quite a bit.”