Atmospheric River to Slam the Pacific Northwest and California

Meteorologists are forecasting a stormy pattern that could impact millions of people across U.S. this week with the threat of flooding, travel disruptions and the potential for the first accumulating snowfall of the season in some places.

Flooding rainfall and mountain snow are expected along parts of the West coast this week, with the worst of the impacts expected to occur across Northern California, according to an AccuWeather forecast released on Monday.

Between Tuesday afternoon and Friday, the potential exists for 8 inches to 12 inches of rainfall in Northern California with a maximum of 20 inches of rain possible, according to AccuWeather.

Conditions are expected to deteriorate along the Interstate 5 corridor from Northern California into western Oregon and Washington on Tuesday before a plume of moisture is expected to focus the risk for major flooding across Northern California on Wednesday, which can then continue to rain over the same areas repeatedly through Friday.

The plume of heavy rain is expected to heighten the risk for mudslides, debris flows and road closures in many burn scar areas across the region later this week. Meteorologists say there is an elevated risk of life-threatening impacts in the Park Fire burn scar area.

Heavy snow is expected to span across the Cascades, northern Rockies and northern Sierra Nevada Range, posing a risk to travelers on mountain pass roads. Road closures are possible as a result of this storm, according to AccuWeather.

AccuWeather meteorologists say wind gusts of 50 to 60 miles per hour are possible in the mountains and gusts of 60 to 70 mph are possible along the Pacific Coast Tuesday with a maximum of 90 mph.