FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Whether it's rain, wind or snow, the Central Valley is bracing for impact as an atmospheric river is rolling through.
"This will be the strongest storm of the season so far," Meteorologist with the National Weather Service out of Hanford Brian Ochs said.
The National Weather Service calls this storm unusual.
"We may get one or two a year, but this will probably be a little bit stronger than that," Ochs said.
The City of Fresno is expecting 1 to 2 inches of rain. City crews are trying to stay ahead of the rain.
"We have somewhere around 30 people dedicated to working the storm drain system, cleaning the gutters, as well as, you know, filling potholes right now," Assistant Director of Public Works Brian Russell said.
Southern California Edison is also making sure the lights stay on.
"If our team in Shaver Lake runs into a lot of issues, we can have Tulare crews deploy up to the mountains and vice versa," Southern California Edison's Gabriela Ornelas said.
The National Weather Service predicts wind gusts up to 40 miles per hour which could cause downed power lines.
"It's extremely important that folks keep at least 100 feet of distance and they should call 911 immediately," Ornelas said.
This storm is concerning for the Fresno County Sheriff's Office. They said they've been in contact with the National Weather Service all week.
"Since we do patrol more of the rural areas, we're all geared up, have extra equipment such as chainsaws," Fresno County Sheriff's Office Spokesperson Tony Botti said.
Officials say areas with burn scars, like Coalinga and Shaver Lake, could be prone to flooding and damage.
"The problem with the soils when you get these burn scars is they just become easy for water to run off and they become known as hydrophobic," Ochs said.
As a result, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office will update its evacuation map on its website.
"We can activate it and change the color there based upon if you're under an evacuation warning or an order that you need to get to safety," Botti said.
And, for those who live above 7,000 feet of elevation, plenty of snow is coming. So stay indoors, dress warm, and avoid travel.
"We could see about 2 to 4 feet of snow in higher amounts as you go above 9000 feet. So you could be looking closer like 4 to 7 feet," Ochs said.