Major impacts expected - Large winter storm to roar across West

It's already coming ashore. The newest atmospheric river is bringing moisture into the West starting Wednesday, and a dynamic storm pattern is about to play out over the next few days as a result.

You can see it on the WeatherRadar in real time. This next storm system will have heavy rainfall, gusty winds, and heavy snow moving across the West over the next few days. The heavy rains will pose a flooding threat along almost the entire California coast through the western Sierra foothills, with a scattered flooding threat in southern California, especially over recent burn scars.

Snow will have great long-term effects on snowpack ahead of the dry season. In the short term, it will bring dangerous travel conditions across the Sierras, especially on Thursday and Friday. The WeatherRadar shows snow already starting around lunchtime in the northern Sierras and becoming more widespread through this evening.

Over the next 24 hours, heavy snow will extend north and east into the Cascades, the Great Basin and eventually into the Four Corners by midday Thursday.

For this first storm event, the highest snowfall totals of up to 4 feet will be found in the central and southern Sierras before another one comes ashore very early Friday morning along the West Coast.

Just as this next storm is coming ashore in the West, the first one will evolve as it pushes east off of the Rockies on Friday. Severe weather is on the menu, and it is already showing up on WeatherRadar. Take a peak to stay prepared.