Pockets of cold, unstable air moving across the Bay Area have caused sunshine, hail and reports of double rainbows this morning, a weather forecaster said.
Reports of blue skies followed by sudden hail storms have been coming in from around the region, National Weather forecaster Steve Anderson said.
"It's the nature of the air behind the storm front," Anderson said. "It is cold, unstable air that's not all in one spot that causes pockets of inconsistent weather."
The intermittent showers were expected to continue throughout the morning until more steady rain hits the area this afternoon.
"There's a front offshore moving towards us right now," Anderson said.
The front was expected to bring heavier rain to the Sonoma County coast this morning and work its way down to San Francisco and the Peninsula later today. The weather service issued a high-surf advisory that will remain in effect until 2 a.m. Thursday. Wave heights could reach 17 feet, with breaking waves up to 20 feet at some beaches.
Overnight rainfall in San Francisco caused a portion of the Great Highway to be shut down due to flooding until about 10 a.m., public works spokeswoman Gloria Chan said. The costal roadway was reopened to traffic in both directions after water levels dropped this morning but could shut down again depending on today's weather, Chan said.
The California Highway Patrol has issued wind advisories for traffic on the Bay Bridge, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge, Officer Jonathan Short said. Sustained winds of between 15 and 20 mph are expected to hit the Bay Area today, with gusts of up to 40 mph possible in some areas, according
to the weather service.
---Bay City News
