For a lot of people, the weather was just a minor inconvenience and a change in plans, but one Walnut Creek man's efforts to stay warm almost cost him his life. As the rain fell, Contra Costa firefighters mopped up a fire at his house after he apparently decided to use his fireplace on the unseasonably cool summer morning.
"A gentleman started a fire in his fireplace this morning and at some point, that fire became out of control and he passed out in the room of the origin of the fire," Contra Costa Fire Department Capt. Robert Marshall explained.
The man was taken out by firefighters and transported to a local hospital for treatment.
In other parts of the East Bay, the cool and wet weather was more of an inconvenience for most people. Concord's Waterworld California shut down for the day and expects they'll do the same on Tuesday. "So any groups that were looking to come on out tomorrow, we're advising them to maybe plan accordingly and also planning for Wednesday, when the weather will be back to normal," said Al Garcia with Waterworld California.
For others, the weather was actually welcome, like at Heather Farms, where some tennis players have a standing match on Mondays. Asked if he had any second thoughts about coming out, Steve Martinez said, "Not really. We have an ongoing match here and regardless of the weather, we're always here."
Across the park at the pool, the lifeguard was under cover, but the lap-swimmers seemed oblivious to the water outside the pool. Asked if it was going to affect anything else in his day, Dennis Bledsoe said, "No, not a thing, because I'm going to go to a gym now for a little while."
Both Waterworld in Concord and Raging Waters in San Jose will likely be closed again Tuesday due to the weather.
Elsewhere in the Bay Area, fog blanketed the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco City Hall saw some light morning rain, and empty parks and sidewalks signaled how many felt about the wet weather.
Randy Brodersen enjoyed a latte and a long walk along the Pacifica Pier. He had just returned from two months in Bali, just in time for a true San Francisco summer.
"I've lived in Pacifica. I've lived here for almost 20 years and I'm very comfortable with the surroundings. I don't go out without my jacket," he said.
Low-lying clouds causing delays at SFO
The Bay Area's dreary summer weather, replete with low-lying clouds, fog, wind and rain put the brakes on a majority of flights at San Francisco International Airport Monday cutting arrivals in half.
"The level of the clouds is so low that instead of landing 60 aircraft per hour, at this moment, we're only allowed to land 30," said SFO Duty Manager Joe Walsh.
Passengers departing SFO faced delays of up to an hour as the ground delay program was in effect until 11 p.m.
"So, we're just recommending that passengers call their airlines before coming to the airport," Walsh said.
There were no delays at Oakland International Airport or Mineta San Jose International Monday morning.
