LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service said stormy conditions will continue through the end of the week, with Thursday expected to have the most precipitation and wind from the storm coming in from the Pacific.
For Lake County, a high wind warning remains in effect through 2 p.m. Thursday, with a flood watch in effect until 10 p.m. Friday, the National Weather Service reported.
Residents around the county on Wednesday evening reported varying amounts of rain, although there were fewer reports of the high winds that forecasters had predicted.
Some posts on social media voiced the opinion that the storm isn't turning out to be as severe as predicted.
However, the National Weather Service's Sacramento office reported late Wednesday that the storm forecast remains on track, with the worst of the storm still on the way and expected to arrive Thursday.
The National Weather Service reported rainfall totals of as little as 0.07 of an inch of rain at Bartlett Springs to 1.20 inches at Whispering Pines over the six-hour period ending at 1 a.m. Thursday.
Clear Lake's level showed marked improvement on Wednesday thanks to the rain, starting out the day at about 0.02 feet Rumsey, with the lake at 0.13 feet Rumsey shortly after 12 a.m. Thursday, according to the US Geological Survey.
For Thursday, forecasters are predicting rain totals ranging between 2 and 4.5 inches around Lake County.
There also is the possibility of thunderstorms between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and after 4 p.m. Thursday in the south county, the agency said.
Forecasters also are predicting wind gusts in the county of up to 48 miles per hour.
While the weather conditions have led many school districts around the Bay Area to plan Thursday school closures, most Lake County schools appeared to be waiting to assess conditions early Thursday before making closure decisions.
The only district to post an update on its Web site Wednesday evening was the Middletown Unified School District.
Middletown Unified reported that it will be checking conditions early Thursday morning and making determinations about the need to close or delay the start of school.
The decision will be posted on the district's Web site, http://www.middletownusd.org , and added to the stormy weather hotline, 707-987-4149. A message also will be sent out through the Infinite Campus message system, district officials reported.
Lake County International Charter School reported that it will have a “storm day” on Thursday, so there will be no school.
The school is expected to reopen on Friday, but the school will notify families if there is a reason to remain closed that day.
No power outages were reported in Lake County on the storm's first night, although there were a number of outages in neighboring Mendocino County and in the Bay Area early Thursday, according to the Pacific Gas and Electric outage center.
In other news, Caltrans reported that it had more than 1,500 pieces of storm-related equipment and more than 3,000 maintenance employees around the state ready to respond to the storm.
Crews have been busy checking pumping stations, readying equipment and clearing roadside drainage ditches across the state. Generators have been checked and have plenty of fuel for operation throughout the anticipated storms, and crews have been busy filling sandbags, the agency said.
Caltrans said traffic management centers throughout the state will be monitoring highway and weather conditions and are ready to dispatch crews and equipment to trouble spots and respond to traffic incidents. Changeable message signs and highway advisory radios will be activated to communicate to the public about highway conditions.
Drivers are urged not to venture out if possible during the stormy weather. However, those who do need to travel are urged to check road conditions frequently through the Caltrans Web site at www.dot.ca.gov or http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ , or call 800-427-7623 (1-800-GAS-ROAD) and follow the prompts.
Motorists also can tune to the Caltrans Highway Advisory Radio, which broadcasts road conditions on low-frequency radio transmitters located along some mountain highways.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Forecasters: Rain, wind expected to ramp up on Thursday
- Elizabeth Larson
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