Heavy rain expected in the parched West

Several storms will bring heavy rain and mountain snow to the western United States beginning this weekend, with a main low expected to come ashore near the San Francisco Bay Area on Monday.

Several rounds of heavy rain and mountain snow are expected to move into the western United States beginning this weekend. This change follows a shift in the large-scale weather pattern across the country. The first storm will approach from the Pacific late Saturday into Sunday, initially focusing on Northern California and parts of Oregon. A deeper low is expected to come ashore near the San Francisco Bay Area on Monday and will bring widespread precipitation and gusty winds. Key details: - Timing: showers are expected to spread into the Oregon–California border region late Saturday, with a stronger system strengthening offshore Sunday and the main low arriving near the Bay Area on Monday. - Precipitation amounts: the National Weather Service forecasts roughly 3–5 inches across interior areas and 4–6 inches in coastal mountain ranges from Saturday evening into next Friday, with most of that falling Sunday through Wednesday. - Hazards: gusts of 40 mph or greater are possible; initial flood concerns are reported as low but may increase as soils saturate, and heavy rain over Southern California burn scars raises a debris-flow concern. - Snow: the Sierra Nevada is expected to see 1–3 feet of snow in some areas on Monday, and mountain snow is also expected to shift east into the Great Basin and Rockies over the following week. Summary: The incoming storm pattern shifts the West from a relatively dry spell toward several days of wetter conditions, including heavy rain and significant mountain snow. Impacts reported by forecasters may increase through midweek as soils saturate and additional storm waves approach. Forecast models favor continued storminess over the next seven to ten days, with the Pacific Northwest potentially seeing wetter conditions later in the month.