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Atmospheric river heading for Bay Area, Northern California

A lightning strike over San Francisco
Jono Kane
/
Flickr / Creative Commons
A lightning strike over San Francisco

An atmospheric river may be approaching Northern California, bringing heavy rain, the National Weather Service said Sunday.

The weather service forecast added that the chance for rainfall will “increase beginning Wednesday and last into the weekend as a rather impressive system sets up.”

Should the atmospheric river hit, the northern portions of the North Bay would likely take the brunt of the atmospheric river, according to the weather service, but those impacts could shift slightly southward closer to the San Francisco Bay.

Cities on the North Coast could be pelted with more than 10 inches of rain, while San Francisco and Oakland might get one to four inches, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,or NOAA, weather prediction webpage.

Many Bay Area residents will recall as just one example the atmospheric river of early 2019. It sent heavy rain and gusty wind through the Bay Area, causing flooding, downed trees and other problems. Thousands of utility customers lost power as trees and other debris fell on power lines and airports cancelled or delayed flights.

Sunni M. Khalid is a veteran of more than 40 years in journalism, having worked in print, radio, television, and web journalism.