At San Francisco State University on Wednesday afternoon, grey skies loomed over a group of Alphi Phi members who were tabling outside the Cesar Chavez Student Center. They were raising money for the wildfire victims, asking for and collecting donations and were totally unaware of the approaching storm.
The Bay Area will experience a storm system starting Wednesday night and lasting until Friday evening, bringing high winds, intense rain, heavy snow in the mountains and even the potential for thunder and lightning.
Expect two to four inches of rain in Northern California, said San Francisco Chronicle meteorologist Anthony Edwards. In an email to Golden Gate Xpress, he warned, “The upcoming storm will pack a punch,” citing large and dangerous waves brought by the storm and “perhaps a thunderstorm Thursday afternoon.”
Rose Silverman, an interior design student, Alpha Phi member and Daly City resident, said she remembers her room and house flooding the last time the Bay Area had heavy rain.
“It was the worst thing ever to wake up to,” Silverman said. “I didn’t think the rain was gonna be that intense.”
News that it might be a wet Valentine’s Day was met with gasps, meteorologist Edwards predicts, with “hit-or-miss showers Friday.”
Students and staff are advised to take precautions to prepare for the threat to safety the storm will bring. Campus Facilities Coordinator Jason Deang directs the SFSU community to reference the Storm Preparedness and Safety Reminders, which was sent out to the campus on Wednesday through a posted notice.
Some of these warnings include, “Never drive into flooded areas. A foot of water will float many vehicles; two feet can sweep away a truck. Beware of the potential for falling trees and limbs,” and “always be prepared for temporary power outages that could result.”
Golden Gate Xpress also reached out to Reggie Parson, assistant vice president for campus safety and SFSU police chief for comment, but he did not respond at the time of publication.
The National Weather Service-Bay Area issued 12 different alerts for the region until Friday, which include winter advisory, storm, high wind, flood, high surf, gale and avalanche.
Atmospheric rivers are long regions of the atmosphere that transport huge quantities of water (vapor) away from the tropics, sometimes nicknamed “pineapple express” in the United States.
This storm system is mixing with an atmospheric river setting that was in place earlier last week.
However, “it won’t be as strong or long-lasting as some of our other storms the past three months before drying out Saturday,” said Edwards.
