A strengthening storm system offshore is likely to bring rainy, unsettled weather to the Bay Area beginning Tuesday afternoon and potentially heavy downpours and gusty winds on Wednesday.
Scattered showers may begin as early as Tuesday morning, but the first meaningful impacts arrive Tuesday afternoon, when a steadier band of rain moves through the region. That period is expected to be the wettest during the daytime hours and will coincide with the Tuesday evening commute.
A second, potentially more intense round of rain could follow late Tuesday night into the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday as a surface low pressure system tracks close to San Francisco. This round could cause heavy downpours, along with small hail and gusty winds. Waterspouts will also be possible over coastal waters…