Flood — Santa Clara, California

2026-01-05 · near Palo Alto, Santa Clara, California

Event narrative

Flooding was reported on the offramp from southbound US Highway 101 to Embarcadero Road.

Wider weather episode

A series of storms impacted the Bay Area and Central Coast from January 1st to the 5th, causing numerous flooding impacts and scattered thunderstorms. A low pressure system on the 1st was followed by a strong cold front and associated atmospheric river late on the 2nd into the morning of the 3rd. A second cold front followed on the 4th. A tornado warning was issued on January 5 for the Pacific coast near the border between San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties due to a radar indicated rotation signature. Around 3,400 customers in San Francisco lost power on the 2nd.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (37.4504, -122.1252)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1299369. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.