Meteorologists: Unseasonably Late Rainy Season to Start This Week

Get your rain gear out — the National Weather Service is forecasting rain in the North Bay through Tuesday. Though tonight only has a 20 percent chance of rain, weather experts say it's a sure thing through the rest of this week.

Meteorologists say it's unseasonably dry for this time of year, when the rains are supposed to be the heaviest of the year.

"January is typically the rainiest month," said Diana Henderson, a forecaster for the National Weather Service, based in Monterey. "So yes, it's very rare that we've seen very little rain."

Henderson said last month nearly topped the charts for driest months — at least since the 1950s.

The most recent driest month on record came in December of 1989, when zero rain fell. Last month, however, came in second. Scientists recorded .09 inches of rain in December 2011. The third driest month during the rainy season for this area was in December 1956, when meteorologists recorded .38 inches of rain.

So, what's normal? Henderson said the rainy season — which is recorded annually starting in June to the following July — at this time of year usually records between five and seven of inches.

In the North Bay, she said, "the average for year in December is about 5.5 inches, and January comes in a little wetter with 6.18."

Since July, Rohnert Park is roughly 14 percent below where it should be in precipitation, coming in with a total of 4.24 inches. Last year, meteorologists recorded nearly 40 inches total.

Everyone is feeling the pinch, weather experts said — from the agricultural workers in Southern California, to almond growers in the Central Valley, to the winemakers in Northern California.

Stay tuned to Patch. We're talking to environmental experts about that this means for us in the North Bay. Here is your forecast from the National Weather Service:

Today: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 60. South wind between 14 and 16 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Tonight: Rain. Low around 43. South southeast wind between 8 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Friday: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 62. South southeast wind between 6 and 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Friday Night: Rain. Low around 43. South southwest wind between 13 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Saturday: Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 62. West wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37.

Sunday: A 30 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61.

Sunday Night: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 38.

Monday: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 62.

Monday Night: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37.

Tuesday: A slight chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64.

Tuesday Night: A slight chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37.

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 66.