Rain Expected in North Bay Through Friday

Get your rainboots and umbrellas out — following an unseasonably dry winter in Petaluma, a second large rainfall is expected to hit the North Bay this week.

“Looks like we have two major systems coming through,” said Bob Benjamin, a National Weather Service forecaster told the Press Democrat Monday.

According to National Weather Service reports, several rounds of heavy rain are expected throughout the Bay Area. Authorities are warning motorists to leave early, drive cautiously and be aware of flooding on local roadways and small stream flooding.

Meteorologists say rain is expected to hit after 11 p.m. Monday, followed by a 90 percent chance of rain Tuesday, 80 percent Wednesday and 90 percent on Thursday. Showers will begin tapering off Friday, and Saturday is expected to be back to partly sunny with a high around 63.

So if you need to get outside after a week of rain, make plans for Sunday — forecast is sunny with a high of 65.

According to Monday's Press Democrat, "last month was the 10th wettest March in 80 years with more than 7.12 inches recorded in Santa Rosa, 70 percent above average."

Petaluma had a total of 12.21 inches the first three months of this calendar year, about half of it in March alone, according to the National Weather Service.

Last year at this time, Petaluma saw 15.2 inches of rain the first three months of the year, although the rains came earlier in 2011. 

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