Dawn broke Wednesday over a Bay Area freshly scrubbed by another atmospheric river storm, with the sun shining over blue skies.
The sunlight was especially welcome for the more than 155,000 Pacific Gas and Electric customers who still couldn't turn the lights on despite the storm's passing. The widespread power outages also meant that thousands of school children got a day off from classes.
The ferocious winds Tuesday recorded several gusts of more than 70 miles per hour Tuesday. Of the more than 155,000 PG&E customers without power as of 10 a.m. Wednesday, some 83,000 were in the South Bay, with another 40,000 on the Peninsula and almost 30,000 in the East Bay.
PG&E said in a statement that the storm caused hundreds of trees or limbs to strike power equipment and block roads, knocking out service and challenging crews working to restore electricity.
Officials with the utility stressed that their crews were hard at work with the storm's passing. However, they added, "some customers may be without power longer than other customers who work or live where access issues are not present or where the damage is not as extensive."
You lost power for hours or days in the storm. What to do when the electricity comes back on
The outages prompted school closures throughout the region.
In the South Bay, Cupertino's De Anza College suspended all in-person classes and activities Wednesday as a result of power outages in the area.
Cupertino Unified School District canceled classes and told staff and students not to come to campus at the following 16 schools: Miller Middle, Hyde Middle, Kennedy Middle, Collins Elementary, De Vargas Elementary, Dilworth Elementary, Eaton Elementary, Faria Elementary, Garden Gate Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, McAuliffe Elementary, Montclaire Elementary, Muir Elementary, Murdock-Portal Elementary, Nimitz Elementary and Stocklmeir Elementary.
The Mount Diablo Unified School District also closed several Contra Costa County schools, because of power outages. Those that were closed Wednesday were Robert Shearer Preschool; Bancroft, Cambridge, Fair Oaks, Gregory Gardens, Valle Verde, Westwood and Woodside elementary schools; Oak Grove and Pleasant Hill middle schools; Crossroad, Olympic, Prospect and Ygnacio Valley high schools; the Horizon Center for Independent Study; and the Adult Education programs at the Pleasant Hill Education Center.
The Fremont Union High School District, which serves schools across Silicon Valley, closed Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, Lynbrook High School, Monta Vista High School and Middle College at De Anza.
Campbell Union High School District canceled classes at Prospect High School in Saratoga and Westmont High School in Campbell Wednesday as power hadn't been restored to both campuses as of 9 a.m.
In addition to the widespread power outages, road closures stacked up across the Bay Area as fallen trees and potholes popped up, making already tough driving conditions worse. The effects were still felt Wednesday morning.
A massive pothole on Interstate 880 just south of the Fruitvale Avenue exit in Oakland was reported to the California Highway Patrol around 12:05 a.m. The pothole forced the two rightmost lanes to close, causing a severe traffic jam. According to the CHP, the hole wasn't expected to be fixed until 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the earliest.
Highway 1 along the California coast remained closed between Watsonville and Moss Landing due to floodwater concerns around the Pajaro River. The river's levee breached Friday, forcing mass evacuations. Crews closed the breach Tuesday evening, but there's still no estimated time for Highway 1 to reopen, according to Caltrans.
Staff writer Rick Hurd contributed to this report. Please check back for updates.
(@NWSBayArea) 
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