Tracking the atmospheric river: How much rain and snow is expected for Central CA, Sierra

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- An atmospheric river is moving toward Central California, bringing with it heavy downpours in the San Joaquin Valley and snow in the Sierra Nevada.

Leading up to that the strong storm is several smaller weather-makers which are so far only bringing rain to the North Valley. Showers fell Wednesday and early Thursday morning but were expected to dry out later on in the day.

WATCH: Today's ABC30 Accuweather Forecast

Meanwhile, in Fresno County and the southern portions of the Valley, the sun was shining and temperatures were expected to reach the upper 70s.

ABC30's Meteorologist Madeline Evans says the atmospheric river will move into the region starting Sunday night.

Widespread rain and heavy snowfall

Continous rainfall, including heavy downpours, will be widespread across the Valley all day Monday. ABC30's Accuweather team has issued an Accuweather Alert for Monday due to the heavy rain and winds.

Rain totals for the Central Valley are expected to be about half an inch to an inch for the South Valley and one to two inches for the North Valley. The foothill communities will see the most with about three to six inches of rainfall expected.

In addition to rain, strong gusty winds are possible for the western parts of the Central Valley on Sunday afternoon and early Monday, NWS Hanford said.

The continuous showers could cause flooding issues and the chance of mud and rockslides in burn scar areas.

In the Sierra Nevada, at elevations around 8,000 to 9,000 feet will see the most snow. Mammoth could see about 52 inches of snowfall, Yosemite National Park could see 32 inches and about 19 inches for Sequoia National Park.

What is an atmospheric river?

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an atmospheric river is "a flowing column of condensed water vapor" that moves through the atmosphere and cools, producing heavy amounts of rain and snow. The NOAA says powerful atmospheric rivers could cause flooding and even mudslides.

(Note: ABC30's Accuweather team will continue to track the storm and will provide updates throughout the rest of the week. Watch the video player above for the latest updates).