Giants-Dodgers game at risk of rain delay as afternoon thunderstorms hit Bay Area
Ominous clouds looming over San Francisco Bay on Tuesday afternoon were accompanied by scattered showers and occasional lightning. The strongest widespread thunderstorms are likely to hit the Central Coast and Central Valley in the afternoon, though downpours and a few lightning strikes are possible in the Bay Area.
The best chance of showers is through 8 p.m., before diminishing in extent and intensity overnight. Showers will likely be more numerous away from the coast, where strong sunshine heating the land provides added energy for thunderstorms. The strongest cells could contain cloud-to-ground lightning, occasional wind gusts over 40 mph and pea-size hail.
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Coastal areas had a lower chance of thunder and lightning, though showers could linger through the San Francisco Giants game and force rain delays.
"This evening's Giants game against the Los Angeles Dodgers remains on schedule to start at 6:45 p.m," the ticketing office said in an email. "We will continue to monitor the forecast and provide updates, if necessary, but we encourage you to plan for the game and come to the ballpark. Gates open at 5:15 p.m. Umbrellas are permitted, but may not be opened in the seating areas during play."
Just one game at Oracle Park has been rained out in the past two decades. That was in April 2018, coincidentally also between the Giants and Dodgers. Rain is not predicted to last long enough Tuesday for a complete rainout.
One to 2 inches of rain had fallen across much of the region since Sunday night. Additional rainfall through Tuesday evening is expected to range from one-tenth to one-half an inch in most places, though locally higher totals are possible in areas hit by repeated downpours.
A lull in shower activity is expected from late evening through early morning Wednesday, but another round of rain is possible at daybreak Wednesday.
The coldest part of the system is likely to move over the Bay Area sometime between 2 and 10 a.m. Wednesday. Downpours, some containing small hail, are possible anywhere in the Bay Area, and winds could briefly gust up to 25 mph.
Showers on Wednesday afternoon will favor the mountains of the North Bay and the Diablo Range, but are unlikely to be as strong as Tuesday's. Highs will be in the low to mid-60s. Dry weather should prevail Thursday and Friday, but chances of light to moderate rain return this weekend.
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