Rain, Rain, Don't Go Away

A rare day when the postman opened his umbrella

It rained last month on Election Day, and a colder, wetter storm is hitting the Bay Area today:

the combination of strong winds and the risk for flooding will make for a hazardous morning for commuters across the Bay Area. Thankfully, the winter storm will quickly exit the Bay Area this afternoon, and both winds and rain will completely clear out by sunset.

Just be sure to crank up your heater tonight. This storm will leave behind bitterly cold air across Northern California that will settle over the valleys and basins of the state. The National Weather Service has issued a freeze watch from Thursday night to Friday morning for the North Bay valleys, where temperatures will likely drop down to the upper 20s...

North Bay: A deluge will set up over Sonoma, Napa, Marin and Solano counties this morning as widespread showers clog up rural roadways with rain and tree limbs. The Petaluma and Napa valleys can expect strong 30 to 40 mph gusts as the winter storm roars into the region. Pockets of valleys closer to Guerneville and Healdsburg are likely to see ponding and urban flooding as the strongest showers roll in between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.

It's a triple-win: 1) the sprinklers have been turned off, saving on our water bill (over $200 per month, half of which is fixed sewer cost); 2) the augmentation of the Sierra snowpack reduces the odds of water rationing next summer; 3) I had some outdoor chores to do, and now I have an excuse not to do them.