88D radar showing very heavy rainfall moving through the northern San Francisco Bay area. Rainfall rates are exceeding 1/2 inch per hour the last hour.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS MTR wrote it up.
88D radar showing very heavy rainfall moving through the northern San Francisco Bay area. Rainfall rates are exceeding 1/2 inch per hour the last hour.
The Sacramento radar (KDAX), 57 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:15 UTC.
8 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The Napa River near St. Helena rose above flood stage at about 1730 PST. The Napa River near Napa rose 10 feet between 1400-1800 PST and was within two feet of warning stage.
Spotter report of 2.5 inches of rain in 5 1/2 hours in Santa Rosa 1408 PST. The Russian River near Healdsburg rose above warning stage at 1700 PST.
Spotter report of 3.83 inches of rain the last 24 hours. Spotter report of 2.18 inches of rain the last four hours 1657 PST. Lagunitas Creek stream gages showing increasing streamflow throughout the warning period.
The Petaluma River is above bankfull. The Russian River near Healdsburg continued to rise after 1800 PST and peaked within one foot of flood stage at 1900 PST.
The Napa River near St. Helena continued to rise above flood stage and peaked at four feet above flood stage at about 2100 PST. The Napa River near Napa rose to warning stage at 2000 PST.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in California, January 1997
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5623261, 5623262, 5623263, 5623264, 5623265, 5623266, 5623267, 5623268.