Flights Delayed at SFO, Rain Expected Through Saturday

Rain Expected to Last Through Saturday, but Flooding 'Unlikely'

Find yourself a good umbrella, because the rain will be in the Bay Area for a few more days. According to the National Weather Service, steady rainfall is expected across much of the region through Saturday.

In a winter mostly absent of rain, it is finally here, after weeks of abundant sunshine. Forecaster Steve Anderson said that a series of storms will be moving through the area with only a few breaks in rainfall.

Anderson said, however, that significant flooding is unlikely.

"It's been dry so long that the rain hasn't really had any impact, other than some local mudslides," he said.

Since the wet weather began Tuesday, Marin County has borne the brunt of the rainfall, with 7.8 inches measured there, Anderson said. In the Santa Cruz Mountains, 8.1 inches has fallen, compared to 1.3 inches in San Francisco.

As for forecasts beyond Saturday, the models used by the weather service are in disagreement about whether more rain is on the way, forecaster Christine Riley said.

"It doesn't look as likely ... but we're still really uncertain right now," Riley said.

Bad Weather Causes Flight Delays at SFO

Travelers arriving at San Francisco International Airport Wednesday may be anywhere from a few minutes to three hours late because of the rainy weather, airport officials said today.

"Right now it's arrivals, but later on it will start affecting departures," airport spokesman Mike McCarron said.

If the weather stays the same, delays are expected to continue throughout the day, with shorter, regional flights experiencing the longest delays. International flights are the least affected, followed by cross-country flights, McCarron said.

- Bay City News Service