Get out your raincoat. We’re about to get drenched.
In what the National Weather Service is calling a return to “active weather,” an atmospheric river storm will douse greater Stockton beginning Friday morning, with rain likely continuing through at least Wednesday. That’s six days of precipitation, with a few breaks along the way.
The bottom line: about 3.5 inches of rain over the next week.
With area rainfall measuring about 61% of average, the additional precipitation should land the region a bit above normal — 7.3 inches — for this time of year, meteorologist Dakari Anderson in the weather service’s Sacramento office said.
“We’ve been dry for the last several weeks, but this is a pattern change,” Anderson said. And that’s pretty typical. “It’s kind of how we get our rain.” The storms “come in bunches,” he added.
Friday’s weather pattern could deliver a solid drenching. The chance of rain Friday evening is predicted at 90%. Up to a quarter-inch of rain could fall during the day, with up to half an inch in the evening.
Saturday could bring the heaviest rainfall, forecasters said, before it starts to lighten up a bit. At its worst, Anderson said, the storm could bring localized flooding to roads and a potential for rockslides and mudslides.
A flood watch was issued for the Central Valley and adjacent foothills from noon Friday through 10 p.m. Sunday. The Delta and Valley areas could see 1-3 inches of rain, while the foothills could get 2-4 inches, the weather service said.
In addition, a winter weather advisory was issued for areas above 6,500 from Friday morning through Sunday night, where snow totals of 11-18 inches — and higher along the peaks — are expected.
By Sunday, the chance of rain in the Stockton area dips to 80%.
The beginning of the week will see only a slight respite in terms of rain. Showers are likely Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, forecasters say, when a new storm moves in.