A person shields from the rain as she walks past a mural near the Public Market on Shellmound Street in Emeryville, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Rain showers blanketed the Bay Area on Saturday ahead of expected near-freezing overnight temperatures the rest of the weekend, as heavy snowfall pounded the Sierra Nevada mountains, prompting warnings against traveling to the area.
A rain band passed through the Bay Area on Saturday afternoon, dropping moderate precipitation across the region, though precise estimates were not available by 3:30 p.m.
No more rain was forecast through the weekend, though the cold front was expected to bring frigid temperatures to most of the region by nightfall, with lows dropping into the mid-to-low 30s across islands parts of the South Bay and East Bay and the high 30s and low 40s along the coast.
In San Jose, Saturday’s overnight low was forecast to be around 32 degrees. Oakland’s low was expected to hit 38 degrees.
The National Weather Service said a frost advisory was set to go into effect for the interior East Bay and South Bay between midnight Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday.
A high-surf advisory was also set to remain in effect until 7 p.m. Saturday, though the around 15-foot waves weren’t expected to reach the heights seen at the end of December when a storm surge caused extensive damage along the coast.
On Sunday, daytime temperatures across the region were forecast to be in the 50s before dropping again to near-freezing overnight.
“It will be that chilly, sunny setup we get sometimes in the winter,” said weather service meteorologist Brayden Murdoch.
Murdoch said Sunday night’s temperatures should be even colder, potentially dropping into the mid-20s in some inland areas. Another frost advisory was set for between midnight Sunday night and 10 a.m. Monday.
Heavy snowfall in the Sierra Nevada Mountains arrived Saturday afternoon and was forecast to pass through later in the evening. The weather service and Caltrans warned against heading to the mountain range amid dangerous road conditions.
“We’re seeing major travel impacts to I-80, I-50, all of those major passes through the area,” said Kate Forrest, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Sacramento office.
Those who need to travel are encouraged to bring chains or snow tires and prepare for delays. A winter storm warning was expected to last through 10 p.m. Saturday.
Once the snow settles, it may add 5 to 10 inches on the south side of Lake Tahoe, according to the weather service. The overnight low in South Lake Tahoe was expected to be a frigid 7 degrees Saturday night.
Originally published at Ethan Varian