Hail thumps Bay Area, thunder forecast

Spring still holds some surprises for Bay Area weather watchers as a burst of violent precipitation lashed the region Monday morning, with more of the same predicted for the middle of the week.

Going into the beginning of the week the National Weather Service warns:

Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce small hail. High near 54. West wind 11 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

And the hail dutifully fell in the twilight hours of Monday. No thunder manifested, although the day is not over yet.

Meanwhile, Monday morning in the Bay Area briefly looked like winter in the Sierras, and CBS SF reports several Oakland vehicles sliding off road due to unexpectedly slippery conditions. But by mid-morning the sun was shining again like nothing had ever happened, because the gods are apparently laughing at us.

Overall the payoff of this latest late-breaking storm was mostly just Monday morning dramatics, although every tiny bit ostensibly helps the state’s looming drought.

The U.S. Drought Monitor reported general statewide aridity in decline again last week, with only about 37 percent of California experiencing drought conditions, compared to nearly 41 percent a week prior, although at the same time conditions in drought areas did worsen compared to earlier in April and March.

More rain is likely to move in on Wednesday, with the NWS forecast warning, “Showers likely, mainly before 11 p.m. [...] Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.”

• San Francisco Forecast [NWS]
• Storms Turn Bay Area Into Wintry Postcards [CBS SF]
• California Drought Map [NOAA]