How did this storm stack up compared to the predictions made earlier this week?

Tajha Chappellet-Lanier here, happily staying dry in the Weekly offices in Seaside. I’ve always found winter storms quite exciting—the first-hand experience of the power of nature is awe-inspiring. But of course, big storms also pose threats to property and even human life.

While it was certainly windy and rainy in my area of Monterey County last night, I woke up to a generally calm scene. Anecdotally, friends and family and colleagues shared that, so far at least, the storm has not been as dramatic as they expected. And so I was curious—how is it stacking up compared to the predictions made earlier this week? 

According to Brayden Murdock, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office, rainfall thus far has been “fairly on track” with predictions. “Orientation to the mountains is really what made or broke this storm,” he says. So Monterey got less rain than other more mountainous areas, for example, because the clouds had already dumped the majority of the moisture on the Santa Lucia range. This is fairly standard. Murdock says about 2-3 inches have been recorded in Big Sur, with as much as 6 or 7 inches falling at higher elevations. 

Wind, too, came in more or less as predicted, with big gusts measuring up to around 70 miles per hour along the Big Sur coast.  

Importantly, “we’re not completely done with rainfall yet,” Murdock says. There’s a system anticipated to come through this weekend, and another on Monday. A storm predicted to make landfall Wednesday could end up being the strongest of the bunch—but it is a little too early to be sure. The “wet pattern,” as Murdock calls it, is worth being aware of because even if future storms are smaller, the rainfall will still all add up. A wet pattern means the soil is saturated and creeks are already full, elevating flooding risks in certain areas. 

As always, the Weekly team will continue to follow the storm and its impacts, including the closure of the Rec Trail and Ocean View Boulevard in Pacific Grove (due to high surf) and evacuations in the Carmel Point (flood risk) and Yankee Point neighborhoods in Carmel. You can see all our stories on the topic here. For storm-related emergency information from the county, click here. To sign up for emergency alerts on your cell phone, go here.

Stay safe. And if you have any suggestions for favorite rainy weekend activities, I am all ears.