Atmospheric river conditions could bring multiple feet of snow to the northern Sierra Nevada. Other areas face a risk of flooding as the ground becomes increasingly saturated.
Cooler, wet weather is forecast to bring moisture to the parched landscape and reduce the fire threat. But heavy rainfall could also trigger flash floods in burn scars.
Meteorologists said there was a chance the winds would be as severe as those that fueled the Palisades and Eaton fires, but that different locations would likely be affected.