551  
FXUS66 KMTR 210551  
AFDMTR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO CA  
951 PM PST WED NOV 20 2024  
   
..NEW AVIATION  
 
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
ISSUED AT 214 PM PST WED NOV 20 2024  
 
A STRONG ATMOSPHERIC RIVER HAS ARRIVED IN THE NORTH BAY AND WILL  
BRING SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS TO THE REGION OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS  
BRINGING CHANCES FOR HEAVY RAINFALL AND STRONG WINDS.  
 
 
   
UPDATE  
 
ISSUED AT 921 PM PST WED NOV 20 2024  
 
THE HIGHEST 24 HOUR RAINFALL REPORTS SO FAR ARE VERY FOCUSED IN  
THE NORTH BAY, VARYING FROM 1-3 INCHES OVER MARIN AND EASTERN NAPA  
COUNTIES TO AS MUCH AS 2-7 INCHES SONOMA COUNTY WITH AS MUCH AS  
8-10 INCHES OF RAIN SO FAR IN THE NORMALLY WETTEST SPOTS OF  
NORTHWESTERN SONOMA COUNTY. EXPECT RAPID RISES IN CREEKS, STREAMS  
AND RISES IN THE MAINSTEM RIVERS (RIVERS ARE HANDLING RAIN WELL  
SO FAR), INCLUDING MUDSLIDES AND ROAD CLOSURES IN THE NORTH BAY.  
FLOOD ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN ISSUED THROUGH THE EVENING IN THE NORTH  
BAY WITH MORE EXPECTED OVERNIGHT AND THURSDAY. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS  
IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH BAY THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT.  
 
RAINFALL AMOUNTS FALL OFF SHARPLY SO FAR SOUTH ACROSS THE SAN  
FRANCISCO PENINSULA AND THE EAST BAY WHERE AMOUNTS ARE A FEW TO  
SEVERAL TENTHS OF AN INCH TO LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH, EVEN  
LESS SO FAR ACROSS THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS WHERE AMOUNTS ARE  
GENERALLY LESS THAN TWO TENTHS OF AN INCH.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM  
 
(THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY)  
ISSUED AT 214 PM PST WED NOV 20 2024  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
-FLOOD WATCH IS EFFECT FOR THE NORTH BAY THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING  
-5-12" OF RAINFALL IN THE NORTH BAY THROUGH TUES  
-1-6" OF RAINFALL SOUTH OF THE GOLDEN GATE, WITH THE HEAVIEST RAIN  
EXPECTED ON FRIDAY  
-WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH BAY, SAN FRANCISCO BAYSHORE,  
AND PACIFIC COAST THROUGH EARLY THU FOR GUSTS UP TO 45-50 MPH  
-A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING FOR  
BREAKING WAVES OF 14-22 FT.  
-BEACH HAZARD STATEMENT IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT.  
 
THE WELL ANTICIPATED "BOMB CYCLONE" CONTINUES TO SIT OFF THE COAST  
TO THE NORTH. RADAR AND SATELLITE SHOWS A PROMINENT BAND OF  
SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE FLOWING THROUGH THE BAY AREA, ESPECIALLY NORTH  
OF THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS. OBSERVATIONS SHOW THAT MOST OF THE  
RAINFALL WITHIN THE LAST 12 HOURS ARE WITHIN THE NORTH BAY WITH  
TOTALS RANGING FROM 0.6 TO 2 INCHES, WITH HIGHER TERRAIN SEEING UP  
TO 4-5 INCHES! THE LATEST MODEL RUNS AND GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SHOW  
AGREEMENT OF AN UPTICK IN INTENSITY BRINGING HEAVIER RAIN BANDS  
GOING INTO THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. IN ADDITION, IVT  
VALUES CONTINUE TO SHOW SUPPORT OF AN ATMOSPHERIC RIVER EVENT AT  
LEAST THROUGH THURSDAY.  
 
EXPECT ANOTHER 1-4 INCHES OF RAIN IN THE BAY AREA, WITH NORTH BAY  
SEEING THE HIGHER RAINFALL VALUES GOING INTO THURSDAY. WITH THE  
EXPECTED CONTINUOUS RAIN AND THE FRONT BECOMING SEMI-STATIONARY,  
FLOOD ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR PARTS OF THE NORTH BAY (MOSTLY  
SONOMA COUNTY), WITH A POSSIBILITY OF ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS OR  
EXTENSIONS BEING ISSUED AS WE CONTINUE TO GET REPORTS OF FLOODING IN  
SMALL STREAMS, CREEKS, AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.  
 
IN ADDITION, STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE WELL UNDERWAY WITH THIS  
FRONT. MOST OF THE MOUNTAIN RANGES ARE REPORTING STRONG GUSTY WINDS  
WITH SEVERAL PLACES SEEING UP TO 55-65 MPH WITH EXPECTATIONS THAT  
WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE OR REMAIN STRONG AS WE APPROACH THE  
LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AS THE FRONT CONTINUES TO BRING HEAVY  
RAINFALL AND STRONG SURFACE WINDS, THERE IS A RISK FOR DOWNED TREES  
AND BRANCHES, PONDING AND DEBRIS ON ROADWAYS, AND POWER OUTAGES.  
THEREFORE, WIND ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN AFFECT FOR NORTH BAY, SAN  
FRANCISCO BAY SHORELINE, AND SAN FRANSICO THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY  
EVENING.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM  
 
(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT TUESDAY)  
ISSUED AT 214 PM PST WED NOV 20 2024  
 
AFTER THURSDAY, THE PARENT LOW THAT SITS OFF OF BRITISH COLUMBIA  
WILL LIFT NORTHWARD MAKING ROOM FOR ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TO  
DOMINATE. CLUSTER ANALYSIS SHOWS AGREEMENT THAT THE LOW HAS A GOOD  
CHANCE TO MOVING INLAND. THIS SYSTEM WILL KEEP US IN AN ACTIVE  
PATTERN THROUGH TUESDAY, BRINGING ADDITIONAL RAINFALL TO THE BAY  
AREA, WITH MOST OF THE IMPACT CONTINUING OVER THE NORTH BAY.  
RAINFALL THIS WEEKEND WILL TRANSITION FROM A CONTINUOUS PATTERN TO A  
MORE OCCASIONAL SHOWER WITH WINDS SLOWLY DIMINISH FRIDAY. SOME  
HIGHER TERRAINS, COASTAL AREAS, AND SOME ISOLATED SPOTS MAY BECOMING  
GUSTY UP TO 40-50 MPH ON FRIDAY BUT WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO DECREASE  
GOING INTO THE WEEKEND. WITH THE MIX OF SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE AND THE  
COLD FRONT, THERE WILL BE A INCREASE IN INSTABILITY IN THE  
ATMOSPHERE, MAKING WAY FOR CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORM LATE FRIDAY INTO  
SATURDAY. IN ADDITION, THERE IS A CONTINUED RISK FOR FLOODING AS WE  
CONTINUE TO EXPECT RAIN THROUGH TUESDAY, WHICH WILL PROMOTE  
SATURATION OF SOIL AND OVERFLOW OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.  
 
 
   
AVIATION  
 
(06Z TAFS)  
ISSUED AT 951 PM PST WED NOV 20 2024  
 
A NEARLY STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY ASSOCIATED WITH A STRONG ATMOSPHERIC  
RIVER CONTINUES TO BRING MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN TO THE NORTH BAY.  
NORTH BAY CONDITIONS INCLUDE STRONG LOWER LEVEL SOUTHERLY TO  
SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS AND LOWER LEVEL WIND SHEAR, KSTS AND KAPC  
WEATHER IS PERSISTENCE FOR THE 06Z TAFS. SURFACE TO LOWER LEVEL  
SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE UPSLOPING WINDS FOR THE NORTH BAY, ENHANCING  
RAIN RATES NOT ONLY THROUGH UPSLOPE COOLING, AIR PARCEL VOLUME  
EXPANSION AND LOWER PRESSURE, BUT ENHANCING FRONTAL DEVELOPMENT  
(FRONTOGENESIS) VIA INGESTING INITIALLY DRIER MORE DISTANT SURFACE  
AIR, AIR PARCELS PARTIALLY COOLED VIA EVAPORATION IN CONTRAST TO  
THE INCOMING LOWER LEVEL WARM AIR ADVECTION WITH THE NEARLY STALLED  
ATMOSPHERIC RIVER. SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST SURFACE WINDS ACROSS MUCH  
OF THE REST OF THE FORECAST AREA ARE RESULTING IN DOWNSLOPING  
(DRYING) WINDS LIMITING RAINFALL AWAY FROM THE NORTH BAY CAUSING A  
SHARP GRADIENT TO THE CURRENT COPIOUS RAINFALL/NO RAIN LINE, THOUGH  
THIS LINE IS SHIFTING SLOWLY SOUTHWARD A BIT WITH SURFACE WINDS  
EASING TONIGHT (INCREASING NOCTURNAL STABILITY). IT'S A HIGH  
CONFIDENCE IFR FORECAST FOR THE NORTH BAY, TO THE SOUTH A MODERATE  
TO HIGH CONFIDENCE MVFR-VFR FORECAST.  
 
VICINITY OF SFO...MVFR, PERIODIC LIGHT RAIN AND GUSTY SOUTHEAST WIND  
THROUGH TONIGHT AND THURSDAY.  
 
SFO BRIDGE APPROACH...SIMILAR TO SFO.  
 
MONTEREY BAY TERMINALS...VFR, A PASSING SHOWER/SPRINKLE OR TWO POSSIBLE  
OTHERWISE PERIODIC GUSTY SOUTHEAST WINDS, ESPECIALLY IN THE SALINAS  
VALLEY.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
(TONIGHT THROUGH NEXT TUESDAY)  
ISSUED AT 842 PM PST WED NOV 20 2024  
 
HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG WINDS CONTINUE PRIMARILY ACROSS THE NORTHERN  
WATERS TONIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING BEFORE PUSHING  
SOUTHEASTWARD FRIDAY. VERY ROUGH SEAS UP TO 20 FEET IN THE  
NORTHERN ZONES ARE PROPAGATING SOUTH THROUGH THE COASTAL WATERS.  
GUSTY GALE-FORCE WINDS TO NEAR STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED  
ACROSS THE WATERS TONIGHT AND LINGER INTO LATE WEEK.  
 
 
   
MTR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
CA...HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM PST FRIDAY FOR CAZ006-505-509-530.  
 
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM PST THURSDAY FOR CAZ006-502>506-508-509.  
 
FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT FOR CAZ502>506.  
 
BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT FOR CAZ529.  
 
PZ...GALE WARNING UNTIL 3 AM PST FRIDAY FOR PIGEON PT TO PT PINOS 0-  
10 NM-PIGEON PT TO PT PINOS 10-60 NM-PT ARENA TO PT REYES 0-  
10 NM-PT PINOS TO PT PIEDRAS BLANCAS 0-10 NM-PT REYES TO  
PIGEON PT 0-10 NM-SF BAY N OF BAY BRIDGE.  
 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 3 AM PST FRIDAY FOR MRY BAY.  
 
GALE WARNING UNTIL 3 AM PST THURSDAY FOR PT ARENA TO PT REYES 10-  
60 NM.  
 
 
 
 
 
SHORT TERM...SO  
LONG TERM....SO  
AVIATION...CANEPA  
MARINE...CANEPA  
 
VISIT US AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SANFRANCISCO  
 
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND YOUTUBE AT:  
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NWSBAYAREA  
WWW.TWITTER.COM/NWSBAYAREA  
WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/NWSBAYAREA  
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
The Nexlab CA Page
Main Text Page