The atmospheric river impacting northern CA and southwestern OR could bring up to 5 feet of snow in the mountains and up to 15 inches of rain in parts of the Golden State.

While one atmospheric river is still pumping rain toward California, another storm is waiting in the wings.

A bomb cyclone occurs when a storm's pressure drops quickly, which intensifies the storm and ramps up wind gusts. Atmospheric rivers are a "long, narrow region in the atmosphere—like rivers in the sky—that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.