Winter Weather Continues Wednesday, But Backs Off From Severity

CAMPBELL, CA -- Californians may feel like they've had an entire winter before February has even ended, but Mother Nature is not done.

This time, though, she's spreading a little mercy as another storm will hit the West Coast with less magnitude than the powerful punch residents from the San Francisco Bay Area into the Central Valley and up into the Sierra Nevada mountain range experienced last week.

With a short Monday-Tuesday reprieve, the storm is expected to slide into the Bay Area late Tuesday night and last through Thursday, bringing between a quarter- to a half-inch of rain with it. The area to receive the most moisture will be the region farther south around Big Sur.

The precipitation forecast will project nothing like the last deluge that overwhelmed the North Bay with 5 inches of rain and walloped the Sierra Nevada mountains with over 7 feet of snow at lake level and about twice that in the higher elevations.

Weather service meteorologists are calling this next round "minor compared to what was seen before."

It will however stay cold, with overnight lows dipping into the upper 30s in many South Bay locations.

This means dangerous conditions for those who live on the street. With that, Santa Clara County is declaring an extension of hours and availability in its shelter offerings.

The city of San Jose will continue to provide Overnight Warming Locations for the same time period.

The rain, along with cold temperatures, puts many people, especially older adults, at risk for hypothermia, which is caused by dangerously low body temperature. All residents are encouraged to use available shelters and warming centers, as well as take appropriate actions to ensure their safety and well-being during these rainy, cold days and nights.

With temperatures that have dipped in the 30s, the county's Supportive Housing division expanded the number of beds and extended the hours at shelters throughout the region.

The current trigger conditions are as follows:

• There is a forecasted overnight low of 40 degrees or lower with a probability of rain of less than 50 percent.
• There is a forecasted overnight low of 45 degrees or lower with a probability of rain of 50 percent or greater.
• There is a forecasted period of rain for 48 hours or more likely to result in flooding.

Up to 150 additional beds will be available at:

• City of San Jose warming Locations
• Bill Wilson Center
• City Team Ministries
• Gilroy National Guard Armory
• HomeFirst's Boccardo Reception Center
• Salvation Army
• LifeMoves Shelters for Single Adults
• Project WeHOPE

For a printable PDF of warming centers and shelters with expanded services, go to http://bit.ly/warm-centersSCC.

--Images courtesy of Santa Clara County