Rain showers continued to linger across much of the Bay Area early Wednesday as a cold front brought more activity off the coast than initially anticipated, according to the National Weather Service.
The system brought "light to occasionally moderate rain" over the region Tuesday and was expected to continue pushing light showers inland at a steady pace Wednesday morning, especially in the North Bay, before dissipating in the evening, forecasters said.
Heavy rain was unlikely, though some of the showers were expected have moderate rainfall ranging between 0.10 and 0.25 of an inch, the weather service said.
Rainfall totals from Tuesday into Wednesday were forecast to range from 0.75 of an inch to 1.25 inches in the North Bay mountains and along the coastal ranges, with higher levels around 1.5 inches in the favored wet spots of the North Bay, the weather service said.
Meanwhile, between 0.25 and 0.75 of an inch will be common across the North Bay valleys and along the coast from Santa Cruz northward.
Totals for the East Bay and South Bay are expected to range between 0.10 and 0.25 of an inch.
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The system also has brought increased cloud cover and cooler temperatures, with daytime highs in the upper 50s to middle 60s through midweek, forecasters said.
The Bay Area is expected to dry out by Thursday, with clearing skies and seasonably cool temperatures for the rest of the week, the weather service said.
Forecasters also warned of heavy snow and strong winds developing in the northern Sierra Nevada and southern Cascade Range, starting out at higher elevations Tuesday and lowering slightly on Wednesday.
Significant travel disruptions were likely across highway passes of the northern Sierra, forecasters said.
Winter weather advisories were to go into effect by late afternoon in the central Sierra above 7,000 feet (2,134 meters).
Forecasters said there was minimal concern about debris flows for burn areas around the Bay Area due to predicted rainfall rates in that region, but people living near burn areas were urged to be mindful of ash and other material washing off hillsides.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
