After days of relentless rain and winds fueled by a persistent atmospheric river, much of California is now seeing a brief reprieve. However, the state isn’t out of the woods just yet, with more rain and potential flooding forecast in the coming days.

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.

Kelly Curran looks at how much rain has fallen so far and share the outlook for the next rounds of wet weather. This forecast is from Nov. 23 at 7 a.m.

In recent years, "atmospheric river" has become used much more frequently in scientific papers and in media coverage. According to experts who study climate and weather, a few reasons may explain why.

It's San Francisco and the Central Valley's turn to be buffeted by the atmospheric river that's been wreaking havoc in the Pacific Northwest this week.