The weather is dry for the moment, but signs across the atmosphere are painting a clear picture for when the first atmospheric river will bring rain to California. As El Niño begins to lock into the atmosphere, it will continue to set up patterns like the one we will see next week, with lower pressure just offshore and a lingering dome of high pressure across the central United States. Patterns like this that hold in place for a week or more are exceptional at squeezing out oceanic moisture in the form of atmospheric rivers. … And the first of the season for Central California is taking shape for next week. … Early projections show Sacramento could receive its entire November rain average — nearly two inches — in the short window. Other areas statewide could see similar numbers, with a general trend for more rain falling in Northern California. … An early look at what this would mean for Sierra snow shows several feet.

Other California El Niño forecast and preparation news:

• San Francisco Chronicle: El Niño could be a disaster for California — but maybe not for winegrowers
• ABC7 (San Francisco): Russian River communities learn from past El Niño disasters as they prepare for this winter
• SJV Water (Bakersfield, Calif.): Valley flood protection still a hodgepodge, leaving bald spots and confusion
• The Riverside Record (Calif.): Riverside departments preparing for ‘wet winter’ ahead of potentially historic El Niño