First Winter Storm Hits Santa Cruz County

Update 2:55 p.m. Wednesday:

This weekend's Snow Day and the holiday tree lighting in Watsonville have been postponed until Sunday, Dec. 9. Read more here.

More power outages have been reported, including a cluster of four near Aromas that have left 182 customers without electricity. Also, the power outages in Boulder Creek has grown to impact 1,259 customers.

Electricity has been restored to most customers in Felton and Aptos, PG&E reported.

Original Story:

The first wave of a multi-day winter rain and wind storm hit the Monterey Bay Area Wednesday morning, forcing the cancellation of more than 73 flights out of the San Francisco International Airport and causing isolated issues across Santa Cruz County.

While the sun may peek out from time to time, the series of storms is expected to pummel much of the region with high winds and heavy rainfall through the weekend. The National Weather Service estimates 3 to 6 inches of rain will accumulate at lower elevations and up to 12 inches will fall in the Santa Cruz Mountains this week.

Thunderstorms are possible in the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

A high-wind advisory has been extended until 2 p.m. Wednesday in the North and East Bay valleys and mountains, the San Francisco Bay shoreline, the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Monterey Bay region. Gusts of at least 45 mph are expected.

Power outages started cropping up in the mountainous areas by mid-afternoon. As of 1:30 p.m., the following blackout were reported:

• Three outagaes affecting 111 customer near The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in Aptos were reported at 12:36 p.m.There is no estimate of when power may be restored.
• Three outages in Felton that impacted 116 customers were reported at 12:45 p.m. There is no estimate of when power may be restored.
• About 425 PG&E customers in Ben Lomond are without power due to three outages reported around 11:35 p.m. The outages are east of Highway 9 and there is no estimate of when power may be restored.
• North of Boulder Creek, 858 customers are without power due to 14 separate outages reported just before 1 p.m. There is no estimate of when power may be restored.

Here are some safety tips for dealing with downed wires and power outages.

There also are storm-related beach advisories this week. Wind gusts as high as 49 mph from the south may affect coastal areas, creating dangerous water condition, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. There is a high seas warning in effect Wednesday. Coast Guard also recommended people avoid going near low-lying beaches as well as into the water during storm conditions.

Although more than 70 SFO flights were cancelled Wednesday morning and many others delayed, he weather has not caused any notable delays into or out of Mineta San Jose and Oakland international airports.

Related Articles:

• Storm Watch: Series of Storms Promises High Winds and Rain
• Rain Moves into Silicon Valley

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