Tens of thousands of homes in Washington state lost power Tuesday and downed wires or trees locked some highways as Northern California and the Pacific Northwest started feeling the effects of a powerful atmospheric river event,

A significant weather change is expected on Wednesday as temperatures dip closer to November norms. However, this shift is minor compared to the massive storm hitting the Pacific Northwest.

A series of storms fueled by a strong atmospheric river is taking aim at the Bay Area and Northern California, intensified by a so-called "bomb cyclone" that promises heavy rain and potential flooding.