"Impressive rainfall totals are likely"

The title of this blog entry is a direct quote from the National Weather Service. Here's a synopsis of the impending stormy weather: MAJOR WEATHER CHANGES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BEGINNING MID-WEEK AND CONTINUING THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND AS A LARGE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE MOVES TOWARD THE EASTERN PACIFIC. RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN WEDNESDAY ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. THIS INITIAL SYSTEM WILL BE FOLLOWED CLOSELY BY SEVERAL MORE STORM SYSTEMS THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THESE STORMS WILL HAVE ACCESS TO DEEP MOISTURE FROM THE TROPICAL PACIFIC MEANING CONSIDERABLE AMOUNTS OF PRECIPITATION WILL BE LIKELY WITH EACH SYSTEM ALONG WITH STRONG GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS. OVERALL PRECIPITATION TOTALS FOR ANY ONE AREA COULD SIGNIFICANTLY VARY AND WILL DEPEND ON WHERE THE FOCUS OF THE HEAVIEST RAIN FROM EACH SYSTEM SETS UP. CURRENTLY...IT APPEARS THE FOCUS OF HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION THROUGH THE WEEKEND WILL BE MAINLY TO THE NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80. THE MILD SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL RESULT IN RELATIVELY HIGH SNOW LEVELS THROUGH THE WEEK...MAINLY ABOVE 6000 FEET IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND ABOVE 7000 FEET IN THE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA. FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS HIGH THAT THIS SERIES OF STORM SYSTEMS WILL IMPACT THE REGION. HOWEVER WITH SEVERAL DAYS UNTIL THESE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS AFFECT THE REGION...DETAILS ON TIMING AND INTENSITY OF EACH STORM THAT PASSES THROUGH THE REGION WILL BECOME CLEARER. IMPRESSIVE RAINFALL TOTALS ARE LIKELY ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION WHICH COULD INCREASE THE FLOOD POTENTIAL BY NEXT WEEKEND AS THE GROUND BECOMES SATURATED AND WATER GOES DIRECTLY INTO RUNOFF RATHER THAN SEEPING INTO SOILS RESULTING IN RISING WATER LEVELS ON THE SMALL RIVERS AND STREAMS. POTENTIAL IMPACTS INCLUDE: *URBAN AND RURAL FLOODING ESPECIALLY FOR FLOOD PRONE AREAS. *MAJOR RISES IN WATER LEVELS FOR RIVERS AND STREAMS WITH POSSIBLE SMALL STEAM FLOODING. *MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS MAY BRING DOWN TREE BRANCHES AND TREES. LOCAL POWER OUTAGES WILL BE POSSIBLE. *MUD AND ROCK SLIDES LIKELY AND POSSIBLE DEBRIS FLOWS FOR RECENT BURN SCARS. STAY TUNED TO THE LATEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATEMENTS OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLET FOR FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS POTENTIALLY HIGH IMPACT SERIES OF STORMS.