A warm, wet atmospheric river storm is expected to sweep through Modesto this week, according to the National Weather Service.

The storm comes shortly after Modesto is forecast to see record high heat Monday afternoon.

According to the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center, the atmospheric river is expected to soak California with above-normal amounts of precipitation starting this week, The Sacramento Bee reported.

An atmospheric river is an area in the atmosphere that carries water vapors outside of the tropics, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. When these so-called “rivers in the sky” make landfall, they drop rain and snow.

“When we compare it to the last storm Jan. 19 through 21, (this week’s storm) looks like similar rain and snow amounts and impacts,” Courtney Carpenter, National Weather Service warning coordination meteorologist, said Monday in a video briefing.

Here’s how the storm will impact the region, and what the weather will be like for the next week.

Atmospheric river storm to hit Stanislaus County

The biggest impacts of the storm will be seen Wednesday into Thursday, the weather service said.

Stanislaus County could see rain, wind and even thunderstorms as well as snow in the higher elevations.

River levels will rise during the storm, and there is a potential for flooding in urban areas and areas with poor drainage as well as streams and creeks, Carpenter said in the video.

National Weather Service issues wind advisory

A wind advisory is in effect for Modesto between 10 a.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. Thursday.

Gusty winds could bring down tree limbs or weakened trees and cause difficult driving conditions, Carpenter said.

There’s a possibility that a second storm will sweep through at the end of the week and into next week, Carpenter said.

“We see a break in the action and then the potential, again, by late weekend for another storm next week with details pretty uncertain at this point,” she said.

What’s in the weather forecast for Modesto?

Here’s the seven-day forecast for Modesto, and when you can expect to see stormy conditions in the area:

• Monday: Sunny with a high temperature near 72 degrees and southeast winds of around 6 mph. Low temperature around 49 degrees with light and variable wind.

• Tuesday: Widespread dense fog from 4 to 9 a.m, followed by partly sunny skies with a high near 68 and southeast winds of 5 to 8 mph. Low around 52 with patchy fog between midnight and 3 a.m. Southeast wind at night of about 6 mph.

• Wednesday: Mostly cloudy with a high near 63 and a 40% chance of showers after 10 a.m. South-southeast winds of 9 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Showers at night with a low around 51 and breezy conditions.

• Thursday: Showers with possible thunderstorms after 10 a.m. and a high near 59. Showers likely at night with a possible thunderstorm before 10 p.m. and a low around 44.

• Friday: Chance of showers mainly before 4 p.m. and a high near 55. Slight chance of showers before 10 p.m. and a low around 39.

• Saturday: Slight chance of showers with a high near 53. Low around 40 and a chance of showers at night.

• Sunday: Chance of showers with a high near 52.

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