Atmospheric river to dump heavy rains on Santa Rosa, residents prepare

An atmospheric river storm is expected to arrive in the North Bay late Tuesday before spreading to the rest of the Bay Area later this week, likely bringing several inches of rain and wind gusts of up to 45-50 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

What is an atmospheric river?

The federal government estimates that atmospheric rivers have been associated with $1 billion of damage every year, with 80% of the flood damage in California.