Following copious rainfall Thursday night and Friday morning,
conditions mostly were clear around Gilroy on Friday afternoon. But
more showers heading toward Gilroy from the coast were expected to
reach the city by 5 p.m., said Chris Stumps, meteorologist for the
National Weather Service.
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Following copious rainfall Thursday night and Friday morning, conditions mostly were clear around Gilroy on Friday afternoon. But more showers heading toward Gilroy from the coast were expected to reach the city by 5 p.m., said Chris Stumps, meteorologist for the National Weather Service.
Stumps said snow flurries at 1,000 feet and above were likely overnight and into Saturday morning. He said some snow could reach the valley floor by Saturday, but it was unlikely to stick to the ground.
California Highway Patrol Officer Jaime Rios said law enforcement was prepared to work with Caltrans officials to close off Hecker Pass Highway and Pacheo Pass on Highway 152 if it did snow.
“We’re ready for it, but we’re hopeful we won’t have to close any roads,” Rios said.
He said CHP officers would be on scene to assist drivers with putting snow chains on their tires. Rios said residents should avoid driving on those roads if conditions became snowy or icy.
Rainy weather around Gilroy prompted road closures and a flood advisory Friday morning.
Miller Avenue between Uvas Parkway Drive and Santa Teresa Boulevard was closed due to flooding. In the afternoon, drivers stopped and got out of their vehicles to get a glimpse of a flooded Silva’s Crossing.
Robert Dominguez said he was walking his dog just after 7 a.m. near the crossing when the water began to flood the roadway.
“As I got back to my car, the water was already starting to crest,” he said. “It really didn’t take long at all.”
There was also a report of flooding at Frazier Lake Road near Highway 152 during Friday morning, according to the CHP.
Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Sgt. Rick Sung said there were not any significant road closures in south county to his knowledge.
Roughly 200 people near Watsonville and Burchell roads along Hecker Pass Highway lost electricity Friday morning when a power line was downed by tree debris, according to a PG&E crew on scene. As of 4:50 p.m., it was not immediately known when or if power was restored. A phone message left by a PG&E official, however, said there were no current power outages at that time.
The National Weather Service issued an urban and small stream flood advisory for Santa Clara County at 8:39 a.m. after rainfall rates in excess of half an inch per hour poured over the area. The advisory was in effect until 9:45 a.m., when rainfall was expected to taper off, giving way to more showery conditions.
The advisory stated that heavy rainfall was expected to cause ponding along streets, highways or other low-lying areas, and that drivers should not attempt to cross roadways that are covered with water.
Although streams or creeks could flood over their banks, property damage should be minimal, according to the National Weather Service.
At 10 a.m. Friday, Bob Benjamin, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Monterey, said the blustery, rainy front would give way to some sunshine by the afternoon, and the city would likely reach its highest temperature for the next few days at that time.
“Then the colder air is going to slip in,” he said.
Benjamin said there was “a very good chance of snow showers” around 1,000 feet and above by Friday afternoon.
He said there could be some snow closer to town, but it wouldn’t stay for long.
“I don’t think its going to accumulate,” he said.
He said there would likely be “dustings” of snow around 500 feet by late Friday or early Saturday.
Saturday’s low temperature is expected to be in the lower to mid 30s. By Sunday, temperatures could fall into the upper 20s.
Dispatch photographer Lora Schraft contributed to this story.
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