The first atmospheric river storm of the winter rainy season slammed into California on Wednesday. Driven by a powerful “bomb cyclone” off British Columbia, it brought heavy rains to Sonoma and Marin counties, dumping more than 6 inches in the hills above Guerneville by mid-afternoon. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch through 4 a.m. Saturday for Marin, Sonoma and Napa counties, and a high surf advisory from Big Sur to the Sonoma Coast from with large breaking waves 14 to 22 feet high expected. … Meanwhile, the UC Central Sierra Snow Lab forecast 10 to 20 inches of snow falling along Donner Summit near Lake Tahoe by Friday, just in time for Thanksgiving, the traditional start of ski season. The CHP issued chain controls around noon Wednesday for Interstate 80 between Truckee and Cisco Grove.

Related articles:

• The Associated Press: Rain and snow pummel Northern California in latest wave of damaging weather to strike West Coast
• San Francisco Chronicle: Atmospheric river fueling California storm is taking an unusual turn. Here are the impacts
• CBS 8 San Diego: How will the Northwest’s “bomb cyclone” impact San Diego?
• Newsweek: Major atmospheric river to hit California with ‘life-threatening’ floods
• KQED: Rivers in the sky: What you need to know about atmospheric river storms
• CBS News: Water officials looking at how much rainfall will be captured by ground supply
• Western Farm Press: Growers scramble as storm slams West Coast
• The Conversation: When an atmospheric river meets a bomb cyclone, it’s like a fire hose flailing out of control along the West Coast