Looming atmospheric river may put California at highest snowpack level ever. What’s your forecast?

Call it the Greatest Snow on Earth. Well, at least the largest ever recorded in the state of California.

As yet another atmospheric river speeds toward the Golden State, threatening to deliver several inches of rain to the Bay Area and several new feet of snow to portions of the Sierra by Wednesday evening, the Sierra snowpack is on track to top 1952 as the snowiest season on record.

That’s right. The last time California had this much snow at the end of March, Harry Truman was president, gasoline cost 27 cents a gallon, and the film “The Greatest Show on Earth” was No.1 at the box office.

This year, the greatest show in the Golden State has no doubt been the drought-busting series of storms that have pounded us all winter, toppling trees, fueling major river floods along the Central Coast and dumping 60 feet or more of fresh snow on some of the highest peaks of the Sierra. As of Monday, the statewide average snowpack was 227% of normal.

That’s already the second highest mark in more than 70 years of records for this time of year, when California measures its snowpack to gauge how much water the state can count on when the snow melts. Typically, the snowpack accounts for one-third of the state’s water needs. Only on April 1, 1952, was the snowpack higher, clocking in at 237% of normal.

And the record is now in sight. With up to 4 feet of additional snow forecast in parts of the Sierra by Wednesday and more possible Friday, this year could eclipse the 1952 record.

“It’s rad, I mean, I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,” said John Aicono, assistant manager at BlueZone Sports in South Lake Tahoe. He said the snow gear store he manages is as busy as ever. “It’s definitely one for the books”

This week’s atmospheric river is expected to arrive in the North Bay on Monday night and move to the South Bay by Tuesday morning. The heaviest rain and wind is forecast for late afternoon Tuesday.

Search your address below to get a 72-hour rain forecast for your address. The forecast will appear in the pane below the map. Click the plus symbol to zoom in, and the minus to zoom out.

For those of you who still haven’t finished your cataclysmic California weather Bingo cards, this week may be your chance. In addition to power-line threatening winds, the Bay Area may also get some scattered thunder and lightning, according to Rick Canepa, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey.

“There may be a few thunderstorms developing … (and) enough wind to cause problems with saturated soils, tilted trees, trees ready to fall with the wind,” Canepa said. “There’s potential for additional power outages.”

Much of San Jose will get less than an inch of rain in the next 72 hours. Oakland and San Francisco will get up to 1.5 inches of rain, while portions of the North Bay will get 2 or more inches.

And in the Sierra?

“If folks are looking at going up to the mountains, their window is quickly closing,” said Scott Rowe, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento. Rowe says the current forecast estimates 2 to 4 feet of snow will blanket higher elevations of the Sierra by Wednesday evening.

Search your address below to get a 72-hour snow forecast for your address. The forecast will appear in the pane below the map. Click the plus symbol to zoom in, and the minus to zoom out.