The quake struck about 2.4 miles north-northeast of Santa Rosa around 6:39 p.m., according to the USGS, and 7.8 miles southeast of Windsor in Sonoma County. USGS seismologist Austin Elliott. says a 3.9 magnitude aftershock after the initial quake less than a minute later.
Elliott says the quake occurred on the Rodgers Creek Fault, which is part of the San Andreas Fault system.
RELATED: 2.9 magnitude earthquake shakes the East Bay Sunday night
The Santa Rosa Fire Department tweeted that crews are responding to reports of "odors of gas, gas leaks, fire alarms as well as stuck elevators."
They say there are no reports of injuries at this time.
According to Meteorologist Drew Tuma, an M4.4 would be the strongest Bay Area earthquake in three years. The last one bigger was in 2019 when an M4.5 quake shook the East Bay.
He also says there is only a 6% chance after an earthquake that a larger one will follow in the next 72 hours.