Rain returned to the Bay Area on Wednesday evening, and that meant a bit of relief from the cold, though only slightly.
The storm system hit the region Wednesday and is expected to continue in earnest Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
The rain likely will continue into Friday and possibly Saturday, forecasters say. Totals will range from 0.75 of an inch to 1.50 inches on average for the lower elevations. Across the higher elevations, rain totals could reach 2 inches. Drier weather is likely to return this weekend, according to NBC Bay Area's Chief Meteorologist Jeff Ranieri.
Daytime temperatures are expected to rise slightly to the upper 50s and low 60s Thursday and Friday, while overnight the mercury will jump significantly from the below-freezing temperatures seen at the start of the week.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, city crews in San Francisco were working to clear storm drains at 17th and Folsom streets, where flooding has been a problem in the past. People who have been in the neighborhood for years hope the incoming rain doesn't deliver trouble.
"It's very unpredictable," Brandon Correia said. "We make sure nothing is on ground that's perishable or not replacable or easy to clean out or replace."
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The intersection at 17th and Folsom is a trouble spot because it's a low point and sits above Mission Creek. So during heavy rains, water often pools there.
One of the new tactics city crews are using to prevent flooding there is barricades. Workers fill them with water to make them heavy. The flood barrier system holds the water back.
The system was used in March, and people who work in the area said it appeared to be effective.
