North Bay’s next storm a ‘weak’ atmospheric river

An atmospheric river is expected to hit the North Bay Friday, but it will be weak and pass quickly, according to the National Weather Service.|

Another atmospheric river is heading toward Sonoma County, but its payload will likely be much less severe than the February storm that barreled into the North Coast, damaging ?2,600 homes and businesses.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Anna Schneider said the incoming storm will be a relatively “weak atmospheric river.”

“It’s supposed to move through quickly enough that we’re not expecting flooding concerns or anything like that,” she said.

The storm system is expected to arrive Friday and drop an inch or more on Santa Rosa, and up to 2½ inches on the surrounding mountains and valleys, Schneider said, not nearly enough to swell the Russian River above its banks. National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration projections show the river’s level is expected to peak at 15.7 feet Saturday afternoon.

The brunt of the storm will clear the area by Saturday night, with scattered showers possible through Sunday morning.

The National Weather Service designates storm systems as atmospheric rivers based on the levels of moisture they contain, Schneider said. Atmospheric rivers generally start in the subtropics.

The most straightforward definition for an atmospheric river is “a flowing column of condensed water vapor responsible for producing significant levels of rain and snow, especially in the western United States,” Schneider said.

Santa Rosa has now received 42.47 inches of rain since Oct. 1. The average annual rainfall for the city is 32.35 inches.

The rainiest spots in the county have received up to 59 inches or more - with an AccuWeather gauge in Clovedale reporting a season total of 65 inches.

You can reach Staff Writer Andrew Beale at 707-521-5205 or andrew.beale@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @iambeale.

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