The latest atmospheric river was arriving Wednesday in the Bay Area with a forecast of strong, damaging winds, chances of thunderstorms, and possible snow in the highest peaks.

The National Weather Service said in its daily forecast discussion that the leading edge of the cold front would sweep over the North Bay in the mid to late morning and continue sliding south through the afternoon. Strong, southerly winds would accompany the rain, creating what the service called "nasty conditions outside."

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A wind advisory was in place for the entire Bay Area from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, with winds forecast in the 20-30 mph range and gusts of up to 55 mph. The Weather Service said such winds will blow around unsecured objects and make for difficult driving, especially in high-profile vehicles. The wind will be strong enough to blow down trees and tree limbs, resulting in power outages.

The storm is not expected to bring the type of prolonged, heavy rain the Bay Area has seen this winter, but the narrow band of high-intensity rain pushing through could create some urban and small stream flooding as well as some shallow landslides, the Weather Service said.

Rainfall totals are forecast to be from 1 to 1.5 inches along coastal areas with 2 to 4 inches in the coastal mountains. Inland rainfall totals will be anywhere from 0.5 to 1 inch; 1 to 2 inches in the inland mountains. 

The Weather Service said that after the cold front pushes through Wednesday afternoon/evening, cold air aloft will settle in, creating an unstable atmosphere. There is a 20-30% chance for thunderstorms across the entire Bay Area and Central Coast both Wednesday and Thursday. The thunderstorm hazards include lightning, gusty winds, localized flooding, and small hail.

Most of the precipitation will fall as rain today, with higher elevations switching to snow overnight after the cold air starts to settle in behind the front, the Weather Service said. Previous forecasts indicated the region could also see snow at elevations higher than 3,000 feet. 

In the Sierra Nevada, the incoming storm triggered a winter storm warning in effect until 11 p.m. Thursday. Heavy snow was expected with accumulations of 1 to 3 feet above 4,000 feet and up to 4 feet on the highest elevations.

A brief lull in the storm was expected by late Thursday before the next system arrives by Friday morning, however, it is expected to have a lesser impact than the first system. A third storm system, predicted to be even weaker, will bring another round of rain on Monday, the Weather Service said.