Mammoth West Coast Storm Dumps Over Half Foot of Rain in California Wine Country

A major storm system fed by moisture from the Pacific dumped over a half foot of rain in parts of Sonoma and Napa counties in California on Sunday, October 24, with more precipitation forecast for the remainder of the day.

Both counties are home to vineyards that are part of the state’s renowned Wine Country. Significant rainfall was recorded elsewhere in the Bay Area and farther inland. Several feet of snow were forecast at higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada.

The precipitation is a welcome respite from California’s state-wide drought, which has been particularly acute in northern parts of the state. But authorities warned that the intense rainfall could cause mudslides in areas burnt by forest fires in recent years.

This footage, taken in Kenwood, California, shows Sonoma Creek swollen by rain on Sunday. Credit: Brian Hughes via Storyful