Next El Nino Round to Bring Lots of Rain, Wind, High Surf Near Burlingame, Hillsborough

More heavy rainfall is headed to the Bay Area in the form of two storms starting Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

The first of two storms is expected to begin around 11 p.m. and continue through Friday morning, with the second hitting Friday night and into Saturday morning, weather service officials said.

Friday will also be a windy one, with gusts up to 45 mph forecast in some parts of the Bay Area.

Most of the rain Friday will occur during morning commute hours and taper off throughout the day. Coastal mountain ranges could receive between 2 and 4 inches while inland areas could receive between 1.5 to 2.5 inches, according to forecaster Steve Anderson.

The North Bay is expected to pick up another 1.5 - 2.5 inches of rain.

The NWS also says to expect King Tides until Saturday– and possibly flooding.

“The combination of King Tides, approaching long period swell and excessive runoff from expected rain will lead to possible flooding of low lying areas near shore,” a hazardous weather outlook states. “A coastal flood advisory has been issued.”

The outlook also mentions that landslides or debris flows may occur in areas like the North Bay, when additional rainfall hits already-saturated soils.

“Rainfall will taper off Saturday night and dry and mild weather will develop by Sunday,” according to the NWS.

So far this El Niño winter, the cities of San Jose and San Francisco areas are running just slightly ahead of their normal seasonal rainfall totals, while Santa Rosa is slightly behind. Normally, Santa Rosa has 18.90” of rain by now. This year, 18.37” have been measured.

AAA: Stay Safe

AAA Northern California is advising drivers to prepare their vehicles to help prevent crashes and accidents during the rainy weather.

“The combination of poorly maintained vehicles and driver error, along with loss of visibility and slick roads, cause thousands of preventable crashes each year,” AAA spokeswoman Cynthia Harris said in a statement.

AAA officials said some of the ways to winterize vehicles include checking the systems within the car, inspecting tires for pressure and balding, adjusting speeds based on the weather and recognizing hydroplaning hazards. AAA officials said even a small amount of water on the road can cause a vehicle to hydroplane.

Some other ways of improving safe winter driving include keeping windows and windshields clear, carrying an emergency kit, increasing the distance between vehicles on roadways and steering clear of collisions, according to AAA.

– Bay City News Service contributed to this report. Images courtesy of the National Weather Service.