Pacific storm gathers strength, due Saturday

A storm that developed over the Pacific Ocean was expected to hit the North Coast on Saturday afternoon with strong wind gusts of up to 50 mph and up to 4 inches of rain pounding higher elevations.

“It’s going to be pretty heavy in short durations,” said Bob Benjamin, a National Weather Service forecaster in Monterey.

The bulk of the weekend rain and wind in the North Bay is expected to hit around 1 p.m. with winds of 25 to 30 mph, Benjamin said, and was expected to continue into the night.

For those heading to the Sierra, travelers were advised to be ready for hazardous driving conditions. Chains are not required Friday on Interstate 80, but if the storm brings snow Caltrans will require them, officials said.

Chains were required Friday morning on Highway 50, but by afternoon Caltrans had lifted that restriction.

This weekend’s storm is expected to dump up to a foot of snow at lake-level in Tahoe and drop more at elevations above 7,000 feet.

PG&E officials said they were prepared to respond to any storm-caused blackouts throughout the Bay Area.

Last month, over the span of seven days beginning Jan. 4, an estimated 866 separate blackouts affected 106,810 residents across the North Coast after winds gusted to 70 mph and rain pounded the area.

Saturday’s storm is not expected to reach the intensity of January’s.

Residents can report blackouts or get information by calling 1-800 PGE-5000

For updates throughout the weekend, check pressdemocrat.com.