Northern California and the Pacific Northwest residents on Tuesday were bracing for the strongest atmospheric river storm system, bringing a lot of rain to some areas and creating the potential for a “bomb cyclone” that can intensify wind overnight.

An atmospheric river is poised to give the Sacramento Valley several straight days of rain beginning midweek. “Wednesday is going to be a solid soaking,” said FOX40’s Chief Meteorologist Adam Epstein.

While Tuesday will be dry in Northern California, it will be a chilly day ahead a stretch of rain, the first round spurred by an atmospheric river. The first atmospheric river event of the water year is forecast to bring heavy rain and mountain snow to parts of the region.

Americans are bracing for a cross-country storm during Thanksgiving week, one of the busiest holiday travel weeks of the year. The storm -- which dumped rain and snow in the West this weekend -- is now marching east,

Millions of Americans across the country are gearing up for Thanksgiving travel this week, but a powerful storm system impacting more than 30 states in the central and eastern U.S. will bring a variety of weather impacts such as severe weather along the Gulf Coast and rain and snow in the Northeast and New England.