Rain, Near Freezing Temperatures Expected In Berkeley

BERKELEY, CA — A weather system that arrived Monday is the first of three expected this week, with gusty winds, frigid temperatures and some much needed rain arriving toward the end of the week, according to the National Weather Service.

Overnight temperatures are expected to plummet in areas away from the immediate coast and could drop into the upper 20s and 30s. Temperatures in the lower 40s are expected along the coast and San Francisco Bay, forecasters with the NWS said this week.

“This is a good reminder to both protect sensitive vegetation and to check on those without access to adequate heating during this period of colder weather,” forecasters wrote.

In Berkeley, temperatures should bottom out at 38 degrees. There's a 98 percent chance of rain on Thursday, according to Accuweather.

"This would be considered a weak atmospheric river coming through," Sarah McCorkle, a forecaster with the weather service, told SFGATE. "It's pulling moisture from the tropics. A stronger atmospheric river would pull in more moisture. We're seeing a lower-end amount."

Forecasters said there are “good odds” for the North Bay and coastal ranges to see an inch or more of rain this week.

“A bit less for the inland valleys. Rain should return for the weekend with less confidence in timing and amounts,” NWS officials tweeted.

The rain is much needed as Northern California continues to experience severe drought conditions that are expected to persist as unseasonably warm and dry conditions are likely to push into the holiday season and beyond, according to the latest update from the national Climate Prediction Center.

“It should be no surprise that the winter outlook is consistent with typical La Niña impacts, which include a general warmer and drier south, and cooler and wetter north," Jon Gottschalck, chief of the climate center’s operational prediction branch, told the Los Angeles Times.

READ MORE: NOAA Winter Outlook: What To Expect In NorCal