Half Moon Bay Weather: Brace for 47 MPH Wind Gusts, Heavy Rain, King Tides

BAY AREA, CA – A new storm will bring rain, wind and possible flooding to the Bay Area on Thursday afternoon but is expected to taper off by Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

Heavy rain and winds will likely hamper the afternoon commute and forecasters are calling for up to 1.5 inches of rain in the region's valley areas and up to 4 inches in the hills.

Steady southerly winds of between 25 and 35 mph will push through the Bay Area ahead of the storm, with possible gusts of up to 50 mph, according to the weather service. The agency said to prepare for downed trees and power lines– and for difficult driving conditions for some vehicles.

The graphic below details when to expect the winds in various regions of the Bay Area. In the Peninsula, it's expected to be the windiest between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday.

The storm's main impacts will hit Thursday morning in the North Bay and will move over the entire region in the afternoon and evening. It's expected to linger through the pre-dawn hours of Friday.

As for Half Moon Bay in particular, here's a detailed forecast from the NWS for the next few days:

This Afternoon
A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly before 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 58. South wind around 17 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tonight
Rain likely, mainly after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. South wind around 21 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Thursday
Rain. High near 58. Windy, with a south wind 30 to 34 mph, with gusts as high as 47 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

Thursday Night
Rain, mainly before 10pm. Low around 44. West northwest wind 14 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 52. West northwest wind around 16 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.

Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 37.

Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 51.

Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 35.

Forecasters have issued flash-flood warnings for the areas burned by the Loma and Soberanes fires and say drought-weakened trees are particularly vulnerable to being downed and could result in power outages around the region.

Urban flooding is likely around the Bay Area during the storm, especially in Marin County, according to the weather service. The storm will coincide with so-called "king tides," naturally occurring and very high tides that can contribute to flooding, especially along coastal areas and near creeks and estuaries.

"The sun, moon and the earth are in proper alignment to produce the largest tidal cycle of the season," a weather service alert states.

The high tide at the Golden Gate Bridge will arrive around noon Thursday, just as the heaviest rains are expected, according to the agency.

"Locations that are typically dry during high tide may become submerged due to this extreme tidal cycle," according to the weather service. "During periods of extreme low tide expect to see tide pools develop along the immediate coast."

– Image via Shutterstock / Bay City News Service contributed to this report