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Weather

No one asked for it, but another storm system is rolling toward the coast, and the first signs should arrive late Monday. Here’s the latest.

Lucas Combos , Patch Staff

SAN FRANCISCO — The Bay Area is in for one more day of sunshine before the next bout of blustery and wet weather arrives, which will likely keep things stormy Tuesday through Wednesday.

The National Weather Service said the unseasonably cool air in place over the weekend would stick around through Monday morning, extending a broad frost advisory until 9 a.m. A hard freeze warning will be in place for southeastern Mendocino and northern Lake counties.

The rest of the day should border on pleasant, with highs close to 60 for San Francisco under mostly sunny skies.

While rain is inevitable, forecasters believe it will hold off until late Monday. The latest storm comes courtesy of an upper low rolling south from the Gulf of Alaska.

“Rain will be arriving Monday evening to the North Bay and then by late Monday night to the rest of the Bay Area including Santa Cruz County,” NWS Bay Area forecasters said Sunday. “Precipitation will continue to spread southward into Central CA (San Benito and Monterey counties) overnight Monday into early Tuesday morning.”

Forecasters predict the heaviest rain will impact the North Bay from 11 p.m. Monday until 11 a.m. Tuesday, with communities south of the Golden Gate Bridge seeing the brunt between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Newer models have boosted the expectations for rain in the North Bay, particularly for Marin and Sonoma counties. The valleys could see more than two inches of rain through Wednesday, with more than 4 inches possible at higher elevations.

Though the rest of the forecast area shows a marginal risk for excessive rainfall, the weather service said everyone should prepare for potential urban or small stream flooding and check the forecast regularly for new alerts.

Snow levels could be as low as 2,000 feet when the storm first arrives Monday evening, and the Santa Lucia and Mayacamas mountains could pick up a few inches during the storm. Forecasters are also tracking the chance for thunderstorms developing Tuesday night and early Wednesday in the North Bay.

The incoming storm also promises more wind gusts, bringing the risk of more downed trees and power outages. Fortunately, forecasters expect the highest gusts will not be quite as strong as seen during last week’s deadly storm.

“Beyond rain, snow, and thunderstorms, the other impactful variable will be strengthening winds as the storm makes its southward track along the CA coast,” forecasters wrote Sunday. “Gusty winds will begin over the northern coastal waters Monday evening. Winds over land will begin to get gusty late Monday night and continue into much of Tuesday. Strongest gusts will range 35 to 55 mph which will increase the risk of more downed trees and potential power outages.”

While the bulk of the storm should be over by Wednesday, the Bay Area can expect lighter showers to linger Wednesday into early Thursday as the storm departs for SoCal. Looking ahead, the weather service said early models indicate a wet pattern returning next weekend, setting up for a soggy welcome to April.

Weather

An alignment of a star cluster, the moon and five planets including Mars, Uranus, Venus, Jupiter and Mars will be visible with binoculars.

Paige Austin , Patch Staff

CALIFORNIA — Grab a pair of binoculars and make it a point to be outside around sunset Monday and for a few days after. Before the storm moves in Monday, we’ll see a rare celestial parade of five planets , a crescent moon and a star cluster in the western sky.

The alignment — led by the star cluster Messier 35 from the left, followed by Mars, the moon, Uranus, Venus, Jupiter and Mars — starts about 20 minutes after sunset — that’ll be at about 7:40 p.m. in the Bay Area. Monday is the best night to see it.

Right now, it looks like we’ll have partly clear skies in the Bay Area Monday before rain arrives in after 11 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

Timing is everything. Venus doesn’t set until about 10:15 p.m. local time, but the views of Jupiter and Mercury are fleeting. “It will be important to catch them as soon as possible, before they disappear over the western horizon,” the Farmers’ Almanac wrote, adding the plants appear “to chase after the Sun.”

The planetary parade is a pretty big deal for folks fascinated by what goes on in the heavens.

Former Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin tweeted about it. “Don’t forget to look to the sky the end of the month for the planetary alignment, which will have at least five planets — plus the moon — all visible in almost an arc shape as seen from Earth.”

“I love that a guy who walked on the moon still l ooks up at the night sky and says, “Wow, that’s really cool.” ” one person said in response to Aldrin’s tweet.

One user pointed out that, technically, the alignment includes six planets, tweeting, “ Everyone forgets to count Earth .”

“You just have to look down to see the sixth one,” someone else tweeted.

• Related: 2023 Guide To Meteor Showers, Supermoons And Full Moons

If you do plan to take it in, scout out a good location ahead of time. An unobstructed view from a perfectly flat vantage point with no obstructions is ideal, according to the Farmers’ Almanac, which recommends a water horizon. Just make sure there aren’t a lot of trees or buildings in the way. The darker the sky, the better.

The moon, Venus, Mars and Jupiter should be easy to spot and are worth a trip outside to see on their own, the Farmers’ Almanac said, but to see Mercury and Uranus, you may need binoculars or a telescope. Binoculars don’t have to be expensive; the type birders use should work.