Cold, Rainy Weather Sweeps NorCal Amid Blackouts, King Tides

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — Cold, rainy conditions are expected to hit the Bay Area, according to forecasts, with king tides adding extra punch in coastal areas and power outages another layer of winter woes.

Power outages spread across the Bay Area, with more than 2,500 PG&E customers in Contra Costa County reported without electricity, even while service was restored to thousands in San Francisco after a transformer fire.
As of early Monday morning, more than 2,500 Contra Costa PG&E customers remained without power.

In Napa, the number was reported at 100.

PG&E restored power to 11,000 San Francisco customers after a transformer fire left the Richmond, Golden Gate Park, and Presidio dark Sunday night.

The outages come on top of a cold-weather turn in the Bay Area and flood warnings.

A cold weather advisory is still in effect this morning for much of the Interior Bay Area and Central Coast. "This goes for everyone, but especially those still without power," according to the National Weather Service for the Bay Area.

Generators and grills should not be used inside because they can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, the agency warned.

The Weather Service also issued a coastal flood advisory beginning at 5 a.m. Wednesday until 2 p.m. Sunday for the Pacific Coast and Bay shorelines. Up to 1.8 feet of inundation above ground level is possible in low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways, forecasters warned.

King tides, driven by the alignment of earth, moon, and sun, are expected this week, amplifying tidal impacts in the Bay Area:

• A full moon on Jan. 3.
• The moon is closest to the earth on Jan. 1.
• The earth is closest to the sun on Jan. 3.