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‘Atmospheric River’ Is Set to Bring Heavy Rain and Snow to US Northwest

  • System may dump 7 inches of rain, several feet of snow
  • Heavy rain threatens to trigger flooding and mudslides
The Golden Gate Bridge during a rainstorm in San Francisco on December 27. 

The Golden Gate Bridge during a rainstorm in San Francisco on December 27. 

Photographer: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
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A potent weather system known as an atmospheric river is poised to bring heavy rain and snow to the Pacific Northwest and California, raising the risk of mudslides and floods.

The series of storms developing over the Pacific Ocean could dump as much as 7 inches (18 centimeters) of rain in Northern California in the next several days, US Weather Prediction Center meteorologist Josh Weiss said in an interview. The Sierra Nevada Mountains may receive 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters) of snow.