Hurricane Harvey dumps the equivalent of California's winter rain total in a few days

Here's something to think about: All of those atmospheric rivers that soaked California in winter and spring brought as much rain to some areas of Northern California as Hurricane Harvey dumped on locations along the Texas coast in a matter of days.

Downtown San Francisco has recorded 32.34 inches of precipitation since Oct. 1, 2016, the start of the water year, according to National Weather Service data. Oakland has seen 28.48 inches and San Jose 18.42.

By comparison, Harvey has brought up to 30 inches of rain to some parts of Houston since Thursday. The fiercest hurricane to hit the United States in a decade has led to devastating flooding and mass evacuations throughout the region.

"When those tropical systems stall out they can produce a lot of rainfall in one area," says Drew Peterson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

People are rescued from a flooded neighborhood after it was inundated with rain water, remnants of Hurricane Harvey, on August 28, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Harvey, which made landfall north of Corpus Christi late Friday evening, is expected to dump upwards to 40 inches of rain in areas of Texas over the next couple of days. less People are rescued from a flooded neighborhood after it was inundated with rain water, remnants of Hurricane Harvey, on August 28, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Harvey, which made landfall north of Corpus Christi ... more Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images Image 1 of / 215 Caption Close Hurricane Harvey dumps the equivalent of California's winter rain total in a few days 1 / 215 Back to Gallery

The National Weather Service is forecasting another 15 to 25 inches of rain along the upper Texas coast and southwest Louisiana through Friday. Storm totals in some areas may approach 50 inches of rain. That's the average rainfall for Houston in an entire year.

Will Harvey have any impact on Bay Area weather?

Meteorologist Jan Null of Golden Gate Weather Services says storms east of the Rockies usually don't have any impact on California as weather in our latitude usually moves from west to east.

"We might see gas prices go up, but that's about it," Null says.