SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — The Bay Area is in the midst of a multi-storm system which will end only after the ‘pineapple express’ slams the West Coast with even heavier rain.
Meteorologists are predicting the ‘pineapple express’ to splash into the Bay Area on Sunday night, with rain lasting into Monday.
A ‘pineapple express‘ is a type of atmospheric river, when moisture from the tropical Pacific taps into a storm and drops moderate to heavy rain, according to the KRON4 meteorologist Mabrisa Rodriguez.
Prevailing winds cross over warm bands of tropical water vapor to form this “river,” which travels across the Pacific as part of the global conveyor belt. When it reaches the west coast, the ‘pineapple express’ can dump as much as five inches of rain on California in one day.
National Ocean Service
It’s going to be the first atmospheric river of the season, but predictions for rainfall totals are still hazy as of Thursday.
“Any slowing or stalling of this moisture-laden plume could produce even greater rainfall totals somewhere along the coastline,” the National Weather Service said in Thursday’s forecast.
Parts of the North Bay could see nearly five inches of rain, Rodriguez said. Most of the Bay area may see at least two inches after the downpour, helping stave off fire season for a few days.
Aside from getting drenched, other problems to look out for when the pineapple express arrives are downed trees and powerlines, as well as street ponding.
Before the ‘pineapple express’ hits, make sure to download the KRON4 News app where we’ll have the latest updates regarding power outages and traffic hazards.