A wet and gusty atmospheric river is hitting Northern California on Wednesday, with more unsettled weather expected the rest of the week.

The National Weather Service says a deep trough moved in early Wednesday, making it a wet morning commute for Sacramento Valley communities.

Wind gusts of up to 40 mph in the valley and as high as 60 mph in the Sierra are expected.

Periods of moderate to heavy rainfall are expected mainly north of the Interstate 80 corridor. Drivers should slow down and expect longer than normal commute times.

Forecasts also show the possibility of isolated thunderstorms into Wednesday afternoon and evening.

The snow level with this storm is expected to be relatively high, starting at the 8,000'-level, before lowering to about the 7,000'-7,500' mark by Wednesday afternoon.

Scattered showers are expected to linger through Thursday thanks to a weaker storm.

By Saturday and Sunday, things are expected to dry out, but forecasts also show that another active weather pattern could be in store next week.