Forecasters: We Told You Snow!

Snow fell across the Bay Area Monday morning with locally heavy snow reported from Orinda along Highway 24 to the 680 corridor near Danville and San Ramon and until the Livermore valley.

Snow was sticking to the ground on area roads and highways making for a tough commute before making way for a cold but mostly clear afternoon.

The Monday morning commute was challenging, but in locations like Hwy 17 where a snow/rain mix was possible.  

The snow reports from the East Bay were surprising to even veteran reporters and photographers.

Roseville, Granite Bay and other communities in the Central Valley received an unusual dose of snow early Monday.

A dusting clung to bushes as low as 200 feet elevation. Meanwhile, several inches piled up in Auburn, which sits at about 1,000 feet elevation.  Chain restrictions begin in Auburn on I-80.

Snow levels are expected in the near 500 ft. range in the North Bay and closer to 1,500 near San Jose south.  Heavier showers may dump snow at times even to sea-level, especially if we manage some convective (think thunderstorms) showers during the day that could yield 'thundersnow'.

Most of the precipitation whether frozen or wet should begin winding down by the evening commute except in the Santa Cruz mountains where lingering flurries are likely.  Skies should clear Monday night and if the winds ease off enough, a hard freeze is expected with temps in the 20s and 30s starting off Tuesday morning (ouch!).

Things are looking fairly dry from Tuesday until late Wednesday with frosty mornings and highs remaining in the 40s and 50s. 
 
Along the coast, a westerly swell between 10 and 14 feet should arrive starting Tuesday, however Mavericks organizers decided to pass on this week's waves due to choppy winds and incoming rain later in the week. 

There's a chance for heavier rain for late Thursday into Saturday. Timing is tough to call as the weather models are out of synch -- but tropical moisture is in play from former Typhoon Nida. That may pull another October storm event in terms of heavy rain and gusty wind potential.

The weather on Thursday could be interesting as well *if* cold air remains trapped near the surface and rain rides over the top of this chilled airmass, one more dose of low snow levels may hit the Bay Area before southerly winds and a more mild storm system scours out some of the Canadian air conditioning. 

Bay Area agencies are ready for the storm and are handing out sandbags in places likely to be hit the hardest.

In San Francisco, city officials issued a flood risk alert Friday  to warn residents and businesses in low-lying areas of the city about potential  flooding from storms.

The alert was issued by the San Francisco Public Utilities  Commission and the Department of Public Works in response to wet weather that  is expected to strike the region Monday and stay for most of the week.

 More than an inch of rain is expected along with winds of 20 to 40  mph in parts of the Bay Area, according to the National Weather Service.

Crews were deployed throughout the city to inspect and clean  catch basins as a precautionary measure to try to prevent flooding in at-risk  areas, according to city officials. Crews will also be on standby through the  week to respond to potentially hazardous situations.

The city is urging residents to proactively position sandbags in  necessary areas, and report any blocked or clogged storm drains or catch  basins immediately.    

The Department of Public Works is providing residents who have  proof of residency with 10 free filled or unfilled sandbags at the  department's operations yard, located at 2323 Cesar Chavez Blvd. The yard is  open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.    

Residents are encouraged to call 311 for more information about  the free sandbag program or to report clogged storm drains and catch basins,  sewer backups, or other flooding emergencies.
 

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