Stockton could see gusts, thunderstorms amid latest California gale
As a new storm descends on the California coast, the northern San Joaquin Valley and Motherlode regions can expect strong gusts of wind and possible thunderstorms.
The storm system brewing over the Pacific is expected to approach or hit San Francisco Tuesday night, the National Weather Service said, with the strongest winds lashing near 75 miles per hour over southern California. Forecasters are expecting heavy rains along the Central Coast to the south of the state and heavy snowfall at higher elevations.
The northern San Joaquin Valley and Motherlode can expect gusts of up to 45 mph through 9 p.m., with the strongest winds likely in late afternoon, the NWS said.
The winds could blow away unsecured objects, rip off tree branches and potentially cause power outages, weather forecasters warned. Drivers should exercise extra caution, particularly those driving large vehicles, the NWS said.
Semi trucks, often seen in the right-hand lanes on the Crosstown Freeway and Interstate 5 in Stockton, are at particular risk of wind-related accidents, according to Alisia Francis, a contractor for JB Hunt Transport Services in Stockton.
Especially with lighter loads, the trailers can be banged from side to side, she said.
Motorists can stay safe by”[reducing] speed around the trucks, [and] don’t whip in and out of lanes,” Francis said. “Just be careful … be kind of polite.” Truck drivers should normally stop during strong gusts, she said.
In addition to wind, showers are likely to blanket the northern valley through tonight, the NWS said, with possible thunderstorms after 5pm
A flood warning for the San Joaquin River near Vernalis was still in effect as of 1 p.m. Tuesday, with water levels at or just above the 29.5-foot “danger threshold” since late Friday, according to the California Nevada River Forecast Center. floated.
Northwest of Lathrop, an evacuation order has been issued for the Haven Acres Mobile Home Park along the San Joaquin River. Accommodation is available at the Manteca Senior Center at 295 Cherry Lane, according to the San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services.
The storm’s impact on those exposed to the elements was evident Tuesday morning when homeless residents queued at the Gospel Center Rescue Mission in downtown Stockton to receive donated clothing, office manager Dianna Clay said. The line was longer than usual and most people were looking for tents, sleeping bags, gloves and foul-weather gear, she said.
According to the NWS, relief from the rain may not come until Thursday, when the forecast is slightly sunny with a maximum temperature of 60 degrees. On Wednesday there is a 50% chance of showers, with a 20% chance accompanied by clouds in the evening.
Across the state and region, “heavy rain and heavy mountain snow are likely to spread through California [and] the Great Basin, followed by the Four Corners and through the central and southern Rockies as the system hits land through Thursday,” the NWS said.
Record reporter Aaron Leathley covers public safety. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @LeathleyAaron. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record athttps://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.