As a new storm bears down on California's coast, the northern San Joaquin Valley and Motherlode regions can expect strong gusts of wind and possible thunderstorms ahead.

The storm system brewing over the Pacific is forecast to approach or hit San Francisco Tuesday evening, the National Weather Service said, with the strongest winds whipping across southern California at near 75 miles per hour. Forecasters expect heavy rains down the Central Coast into the south of the state and heavy snow at higher elevations.

The northern San Joaquin Valley and Motherlode can expect gusts up to 45 miles per hour through 9 p.m., with the strongest winds likely in late afternoon, the NWS said.

The winds could blow unsecured objects, tear down tree limbs and possibly cause power outages, forecasters warned. Drivers should be extra careful, especially those driving large vehicles, the NWS said.

Trailer trucks like those often seen dominating the rightmost lanes on the Crosstown Freeway and Interstate 5 in Stockton are at particular risk of wind-related accidents, according to Alisia Francis, a service provider for J.B. Hunt Transport Services in Stockton.

Especially when carrying lighter loads, the trailers can be battered from side to side, she said.

Car drivers can stay safe by "[reducing] speed around the trucks, [and] don't be whipping in and out of lanes," Francis said. "Just be cautious ... be kind of courteous." Truck drivers should typically pull over amid severe gusts, she said.

In addition to wind, showers will likely continue to blanket the northern Valley through tonight, the NWS said, with possible thunderstorms after 5 p.m.

A flood warning for the San Joaquin River near Vernalis was still in place as of 1 p.m. Tuesday, with the water level hovering at or just above the 29.5 foot "danger level" since late Friday, according to the California Nevada River Forecast Center.

Northwest of Lathrop, an evacuation order is in place for Haven Acres Mobile Home Park along the San Joaquin River. Shelter is available at the Manteca Senior Center on 295 Cherry Lane, according to the San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services.

The storm's impact on those exposed to the elements was clear Tuesday morning as homeless residents lined up for donated clothing at the Gospel Center Rescue Mission in downtown Stockton, office manager Dianna Clay said. The line was longer than usual, and most people were searching for tents, sleeping bags, gloves, and harsh-weather gear, she said.

Relief from the rain may not come until Thursday, when the forecast is slightly sunny with a high of 60 degrees, according to the NWS. Wednesday faces a 50% chance of showers, with a 20% chance accompanied by clouds in the evening.

Across the state and region, "heavy rain and heavy mountain snow will likely expand through California [and] the Great Basin followed by the Four Corners and through the central and southern Rockies as the system slams onshore" through Thursday, the NWS said.

Record reporter Aaron Leathley covers public safety. She can be reached at aleathley@recordnet.com or on Twitter @LeathleyAaron. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton could see gusts, thunderstorms amid latest California gale