Much to be thankful for after storms bring needed rain, with more on the way.

The weather over Thanksgiving week dished up a heavy portion of rain throughout Monterey County and continued serving leftovers for another couple of days. A brief break is expected on Dec. 5, but don't put away the umbrellas. A cold front bringing more rain and wind is expected late Friday, Dec. 6.

Despite some roadway flooding and other storm damage, the good news is that after a very dry start to fall, the soaking that started the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 26, sent seasonal rain totals soaring. Salinas, which saw 1.84 inches of rain between Tuesday and the night of Monday, Dec. 2, is now at 129 percent of normal rainfall for the “rain year” that began on Oct. 1, says National Weather Service meteorologist Ryan Walbrun. So far for the period Salinas has experienced 2.7 inches of rain.

More good news says Walbrun, is that all that rain that dropped over the past week ended the fire season and will help fill local reservoirs.

Big Sur Station recorded 8.37 inches between Tuesday and Monday, while Monterey saw 3.74 inches of rain and South County at Fort Hunter Liggett recorded 3.18 inches.

Some rain gauges not maintained by the weather service recorded rainfall totals of more than 17 inches in Big Sur's Mining Ridge area, as well as 16 inches in Greenfield and 14 inches in Carmel Valley Village. Walbrun says those totals may be correct, but the service has no way to verify the data.

The heavy rains in Big Sur over the weekend prompted Caltrans to shut down Highway 1 at 5pm, Saturday, Nov. 30, in the area of Paul’s Slide. The next day the agency shut down the area of Mud Creek. The gates across the highway were expected to remain shut and locked through at least Wednesday, but improved conditions led to a reopening of the gates at 1pm on Tuesday. Caltrans officials will reassess conditions and whether to close the gates again as the new storm approaches.

There were actually two storms that came through the county, but with almost no break in rain periods, especially in Big Sur. The first storm ran from Tuesday night through Thanksgiving and into Friday, followed on Saturday with the atmospheric river that hit the West Coast over the weekend.

That storm system is hanging off the coast, bringing lingering showers through Wednesday. Thursday is expected to be dry, but a new cold front bringing wind and rain blows in Friday, just in time for the evening commute, somewhere between 4-6pm, Walbrun says. Heavy rains are expected Friday night, lessening on Saturday.

During the break between storms, Monterey County Public Works crews are busily repairing potholes and clearing debris in anticipation of the next bout of rain, says spokesperson Maia Carroll.

A crew is staged near King City in case problems crop up on Nacimiento-Fergusson Road to keep it clear. The road can be the only way in and out of Big Sur if mudslides or bridge closures shut off the community from the Carmel area to the north and San Luis Obispo County to the south.

The Monterey County Resource Management Agency brought in special crews to the Carmel Lagoon on Dec. 2, to contour the sandbar in order to reduce flood risk further up the Carmel River. Heavy equipment was used to cut a pilot channel on the south end of the beach, allowing for a slow release of water resembling a natural opening. About 150 cubic yards of sand were moved during the project.

For residents in unincorporated areas of the county concerned about flooding, sandbags are available at various stations provided by the Monterey County Water Resources Agency. A list of stations is available on the county's website. Residents in incorporated cities may check city websites for sandbag and storm preparation information.