A series of storms is expected to be sweeping through across the Western United States over the next five days, with a powerful storm forecast for Monday and Tuesday forecasters warn. The pattern could persist until mid-January.

"When all said and done, we are looking at several more inches of rainfall through the middle of next week with moderate to high confidence of even more rain through mid-month," according the forecasters in the San Francisco Bay Area office of the National Weather Service.

"Additional rounds of heavy rainfall with ample runoff issues are likely to persist through early next week in a dangerously wet pattern with multiple atmospheric rivers," meteorologists from the National Weather Prediction Center said.

Here's a day-by-day summary of what's to be expected and when.

Thursday

A turbulent atmospheric river continues to provide stream moisture over California today, however it is expected to decrease in strength as the day moves on.

"Coastal areas of California and the Sacramento Valley are most at risk," the forecasters from the prediction center said in the early hours of on Thursday morning.

The forecasters warned that rain rates of more than an inch per hour can result in rapid rise in water levels in streams and rivers, and cause mud or rock slides.

The rain storms themselves are expected to be weak and sporadic, however, wherever the rain is heavy it could cause flooding as the ground might be saturated (similar to sponges that are soaked and unable to absorb any more water.

The soils that are saturated, along with winds of 50 miles per hour , which are forecast on Thursday, could cause trees to be more susceptible to falling.

In the mountains that are higher than 5,000 feet within Northern as well as Central California, snow will continue to fall at a rate of greater than three inches per hour at times, resulting in unsafe travel conditions.

The storm should recede in the evening of Thursday, when the majority of the heavy rain is over. But the respite is likely to be short.

Friday

A large portion in California could see some respite from the rain as the stream of water flows through the southwestern Oregon as well as Northern California on Friday.

"Peak rainfall amounts into Northern California's coastal mountains could exceed four inches during this period into very late Friday night," forecasters from the prediction center told.

Saturday

The widespread rain and high-elevation snow is predicted to return on Saturday across most of California. Southern California may escape with an additional day of dry weather.

The moisture will slowly move across California throughout the day, with the most heavy rain falling mostly on Central California and Northern California.

The first squall of rain is expected to occur in the early morning, followed by additional rain expected inland towards Sacramento along with into the Sacramento Valley. Later in the evening, another bout of rain heavy is expected further south in California's Bay Area.

Sunday

Things look grim over the majority of the state. Southern California most likely gets the rain back.

"The storm door will remain open this weekend all the way through end of next week," forecasters from the Los Angeles office of the Weather Service said.

The most significant areas of concern for excessive rain are restricted up to Northern California. But that will change on Monday.

Monday

Monday is likely to be a day when another strong atmospheric river form that will bring massive amounts of heavy to moderate rain strong southerly winds as well as massive snowfall in higher altitudes.

The plume of rain will begin to move across the Bay Area during the day.

It's still a bit late to be able to pinpoint how much rain will fall as a result of this strong storm system expected to arrive on Monday, but center forecasters stated in their extended forecast "look for multiple inches over a broad area of Northern and Central California."

"The cumulative effects of repeated rounds of moderate to heavy rain from preceding storms may lead to a higher potential for more widespread flooding with increasingly severe impacts with this storm," the Sacramento weather office stated the weather office on Thursday.

From Monday night to Tuesday morning, the larger plume of rain is likely to shift towards the south, over and around the Los Angeles area.

"Its still early and the forecast could change," the forecasters from Los Angeles cautioned.

Beyond Monday

There's nothing exciting regarding the outlook. The storms will experience a brief period of calm, but forecasters are predicting that a strong to moderate atmospheric river could strike on that West Coast next Thursday.
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