An incoming atmospheric river storm has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a flood watch for the entire Bay Area beginning later this week and continuing into the weekend.
The weather service said the flood watch will be in effect Thursday through Sunday. The heaviest rainfall is expected to come down Thursday into Friday.
Flooding is possible in low-lying and flood-prone areas as well as along rivers, creeks and streams, the weather service said. Flooding could also occur on streets and in poor drainage areas.
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Compounding the deluge are the cold temperatures and high winds expected for much of the region overnight Thursday. Lows in the upper 30s and 40s are expected for most of the Bay Area, and in the mid-30s in the interior valleys.
Peak gusts overnight Thursday night into Friday morning may be 20-30 mph across most of the area, and 30-40 mph in San Francisco, Half Moon Bay and the East Bay interior.
Scattered thunderstorms are also possible, with small hail, brief heavy rain and a few lightning strikes.
"Now is the time to prepare!" the weather service said Tuesday afternoon.
Track the incoming storm and all weather updates by visiting the NBC Bay Area weather page.
Bay City News contributed to this report.
