Storm cuts power to thousands in San Francisco area

Moderate rain and and gusts as high as 36 mph Thursday marked the arrival of a ferocious storm system in the San Francisco area that has sent residents scrambling for flashlights and bottled water and prompted authorities to warn trucks to avoid some exposed bridges across the bay.

At the San Francisco International Airport, 91 outgoing flights and 101 inbound flights had already been canceled early Thursday, according to Flightaware.com.

The system, which is expected to batter California with drenching rain, heavy snow, pounding surf and howling winds through Friday, is fueled by the 'Pineapple Express' that is delivering a steady stream of moisture directly from Hawaii to the West Coast.

Winds have already gusted to over 30 mph across a wide swath of Northern California, with one brief gust of 96 mph recorded near Eureka, according to the National Weather Service.

The highest rainfall total by early Thursday was 3.5 inches recorded in Oakmont.

As the storm spreads southward, downpours are likely to cause debris slides, especially in areas affected by this year's intense and widespread wildfires.

As much as 8 inches of rain could fall on coastal mountains over a 24-hour period, the weather service said.

'It's a short amount of time for that amount of water,' forecaster Diana Henderson said. 'We are anticipating some localized flooding, maybe some downed trees and downed power lines. It could have an effect on a wide range of people.'

Ski resorts in the northern Sierra Nevada could get more than 2 feet of snow, with wind gusts of up to 70 mph or higher expected on some mountain tops.

Many schools in northern California were canceled as the first elements of the storm began to push down from Washington and Oregon.

In San Francisco, where as much as 4 inches of rain was forecast, crews cleared storm drains and removed loose rocks from a hillside to prevent them from crashing down.

Residents were advised to sweep up leaves and debris in front of their properties to prevent them from clogging drains.

Truckers using the highly exposed Richmond-San Rafael Bridge -- which stretches across the northern end of San Francisco Bay -- were advised to avoid the structure because of high winds.

About 3-6 inches of rain is possible in parts of Northern California, including much of the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento, AccuWeather said. Some spots could see as much as 9 inches of rain.

In San Rosa, residents filled sandbags and built barriers in hopes of keeping rising water out of businesses and houses along the coast.

Significant rainfall will spread southward and inland, reaching into the heavy agricultural areas of the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys, says AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

Contributing: Associated Press. Follow Doug Stanglin on Twitter: @dstanglin