New atmospheric river expected overnight, Pajaro floods approaching highway 68

A moderate-to-strong atmospheric river storm, posing what the National Weather Service called a “direct threat to life and property”, approached the Bay Area on Monday for what was expected to be an overnight arrival of more heavy rains to an already impacted region.

A region-wide NWS flood warning was scheduled to take effect from 10 pm Monday to 4 am Wednesday. An agency bulletin on Monday morning suggested that highly saturated soils combined with high river and stream levels made further water-related impacts a “sure bet.”

The entrance #AtmosphericRiver will bring more heavy rain and flooding concerns from tonight. Make sure you are prepared for flooding and possible road closures. Remember to NEVER drive on flooded roads. Turn around, don’t drown! #cawx pic.twitter.com/AMfpyap8kL

— NWS Bay Area 🌉 (@NWSBayArea) March 13, 2023

Aside from light showers in the early morning, Monday’s forecast was relatively tame in terms of rain and wind across the Bay Area. While wind gusts can reach 40 miles per hour or more around 10 p.m., most of the rain is expected after 1 a.m. Tuesday.

In all, San Jose, Livermore and Concord can expect between a half and an inch of rain from Monday night through Wednesday morning. Expectations were higher in San Francisco, where it could receive as much as an inch and a half of rain, and Santa Cruz could expect between two and three.

All eyes remain on the small Monterey County community of Pajaro as the next storm approaches, however, after water broke through a levee early Saturday morning, devastating the city’s neighborhoods and farms. The Monterey County Department of Emergency Management issued shelter-in-place orders Monday on Las Palmas 1, 2 and Indian Springs due to flooding on River Road.