Here’s how much rain is expected in the North Bay this week

Just weeks after an atmospheric river overflowed the North Bay and caused major flooding, residents of Sonoma and Napa counties can expect more rainfall this week.

This time, however, it will be less extreme than the storms that dumped nearly a foot of rain in three days last month, said Rick Canepa, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

A fast-moving cold front from the Pacific Northwest was expected to arrive Wednesday evening and last through Thursday, bringing persistent rain to the North Bay region, Canepa said.

The system is expected to drop between a half and an inch and a half of rain — enough to cause minor hazards like puddles on the roads, but not enough to cause the kind of flooding and road closures that occurred in North Bay in November added Canepa.

Still, a high surf warning was issued for the coast from 1 p.m. Thursday to 4 a.m. Friday, and storm-related waves are expected, the weather service reported.

Canepa said the coastal region could also expect the return of king tides early Thursday morning into Monday. The tides are caused by the full moon, but combined with the storm they bring dangerous conditions.

The weather service issued a coastal flood warning from 6 a.m. Thursday until 1 p.m. Monday.

Flooding in coastal areas is possible but is not expected to be severe.

After a brief lull, a second system is expected to bring more rain Friday afternoon and scattered showers Saturday. This system will be less intense than previous storms but will last longer, dropping up to 2 inches of rain in some areas, Canepa said.

Rainfall totals at the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport are more than double what they were last year following record-breaking rains in November, Canepa said.

Contact Staff Writer Anna Armstrong at 707-521-5255 or [email protected]. On X (Twitter) @annavarmstrongg.