Dangerous atmospheric river among trio of storms threatening California with significant flooding

 The Fox Forecast Center said three separate storms, each more impressive than the last, will hit the West Coast beginning Wednesday and continuing through next week. This is not welcome news for a state recently ravaged by dangerous weather.

El Nino is about to deliver another unhealthy dose of wild weather to California.

The Fox Forecast Center said three separate storms, each more impressive than the last, will hit the West Coast beginning Wednesday and continuing through next week.

 This is not welcome news for a state recently ravaged by dangerous weather.

"Wave after wave, opportunity after opportunity, it just piles up," said Fox Weather meteorologist Britta Merwin. "The first one will probably be OK, but as we work our way into the weekend, more issues will emerge. Snowfall on the mountains will be epic. Be careful on weekend trips, and then also when coming back after a ski trip over the weekend." And there's a storm coming."

The first storm system arrived without much fanfare on Wednesday. Light rain caused traffic disruptions but did not cause significant flooding in coastal California.

However, Oregon and Washington are under a winter storm warning through Thursday and in some areas through Friday. Heavy snowfall of one to two feet is possible in higher altitude areas.

Heavy snow will fall in the higher elevations of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada in California. By Thursday, 1 to 2 feet of new snowfall can be expected in isolated heavy amounts, and a winter storm warning is in effect.

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Thursday will be dry from west to east. There is a dry holiday on Friday.

Saturday

A large area of low pressure moving across the Gulf of Alaska will bring a second round of rain to the West Coast on Saturday, the Fox Forecast Center said.

Unlike the first system, rainfall will extend into Southern California, but like the first system, rainfall totals should remain light enough to warrant significant flooding concerns. Another 1-2 feet of snow will fall in the Sierra Nevada.

The NWS has issued a Level 2 out of 4 risk for flash flooding along the Northern California coast.

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The final and most impactful storm will hit California starting Sunday night as a slow-moving Pacific storm sends a major atmospheric river toward the state, the Fox Forecast Center said.

The storm can bring torrential rains, causing major floods, landslides and rockfalls.

"That final stir, that's going to happen early next week," Merwin said. "We're going to have a lot of volatility ... It's the kind of setup that I wouldn't be surprised if we're talking hurricanes and severe weather in California as early as next week."

Of particular concern is that some forecast models show the storm essentially stalling off the coast, allowing rain and snow to continue through the middle of the week.

Strong winds and perhaps even the threat of power outages could put the region at risk once again.

"Even though the amount of rainfall associated with this storm may be less than previous storms (from earlier in February), significant storm-related impacts are still expected," NWS forecasters in Los Angeles said.

"Rivers and creeks will rise rapidly (possibly even faster due to precipitous conditions), the risk of downed trees will be greater even when wind speeds are low, mud and rockslides in hills and mountains are almost a guarantee, and areas Roads will become very dangerous, especially during heavy rains. Residents are encouraged to begin preparing for the storm as soon as possible before the rains begin."

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It's too early to determine the exact impacts, but the Fox Forecast Center is warning Californians to prepare now for worrying weather conditions.