NOAA is forecasting a powerful winter storm to slam into California and drop 1-3 feet of snow in Lake Tahoe on Wednesday and Thursday. 6-12″ of snow are forecast for Mammoth, and up to 18″ are forecast for Tioga Pass in Yosemite N.P. Another strong storm is forecast to hit California on Sunday with potentially similar snowfall amounts.
A SERIES OF STORMS WITH MOIST PACIFIC AIR WILL BRING A WET PATTERN
FROM MID TO LATE WEEK...WITH PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN AND
HEAVY MOUNTAIN SNOW. SNOW WILL FALL BELOW PASS LEVELS THURSDAY
MORNING AND DROP FURTHER INTO FRIDAY...WITH OVER A FOOT OF NEW
SNOW POSSIBLE ABOVE 6000 FEET AND THE POTENTIAL FOR 2 TO 3 FEET
OVER HIGH PEAKS. - NOAA Reno, NV today
NOAA has issued a Winter Storm Watch for California and a Special Weather Statement for Wednesday and Thursday. 1-3 feet of snow is forecast for Wednesday and Thursday in the Sierra.
*SNOW: 12 INCHES ABOVE 6000 FEET. UP TO 2 TO 3 FEET OVER HIGH PEAKS. - NOAA Reno, NV today
Snow levels will start high, around 7,000-feet, before dropping down to 5,500-feet.
SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT FAIRLY HIGH--AROUND 7000 FEET EARLY ON, THEN TRANSITION TO AROUND 5500 FEET BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. - NOAA Reno, NV today
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The Sierra Nevada snowpack is currently well below average. Tahoe’s snowpack is at 60% of average as of December 3rd. This storm should help get us back up near normal.
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WINTER STORM WATCH for CALIFORNIA:
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA
400 AM PST MON DEC 7 2015
...HEAVY SNOW RETURNS TO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN
CASCADE RANGE AND NORTHERN SIERRA WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY...
.A STRONG WINTER STORM IS FORECAST TO AFFECT THE SOUTHERN CASCADE
RANGE AND NORTHERN SIERRA BEGINNING LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND
CONTINUING INTO FRIDAY. PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG GUSTY
WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE RESULTING IN TREACHEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS
ACROSS THE HIGHER MOUNTAIN PASSES OF THE NORTHERN SIERRA. SNOWFALL
ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 FEET OR MORE WILL BE POSSIBLE AT THE HIGHER
ELEVATIONS.
WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK-
WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CHESTER...QUINCY...BLUE CANYON
...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH
THURSDAY EVENING...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SACRAMENTO HAS ISSUED A WINTER
STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT
THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING.
* MAIN IMPACT: MAJOR TRAVEL PROBLEMS ARE EXPECTED, INCLUDING
TRAVEL OVER DONNER PASS ON INTERSTATE 80 AND ECHO SUMMIT ON
HIGHWAY 50. WHITEOUT CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE AT TIMES,
PARTICULARLY ON THURSDAY.
* CONFIDENCE...MODERATE ON AMOUNTS AND TIMING.
* TIMING...SNOW BEGINS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND BECOMES HEAVY AT TIMES
ACROSS THE NORTHERN SIERRA PASSES ON THURSDAY.
* LOCATIONS...INTERSTATE 80 OVER DONNER PASS, HIGHWAY 50 OVER ECHO
SUMMIT, AND HIGHWAY 88 OVER CARSON PASS.
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...18 TO 24 INCHES POSSIBLE ALONG THE CREST OF
THE NORTHERN SIERRA WITH 4 TO 8 INCHES DOWN TO AROUND THE 5000
FOOT LEVEL.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT:
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA
144 PM PST SUN DEC 6 2015
SHASTA LAKE AREA / NORTHERN SHASTA COUNTY-
BURNEY BASIN / EASTERN SHASTA COUNTY-NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY-
CENTRAL SACRAMENTO VALLEY-SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY-
CARQUINEZ STRAIT AND DELTA-NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
MOUNTAINS SOUTHWESTERN SHASTA COUNTY TO NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY-
CLEAR LAKE/SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY-
NORTHEAST FOOTHILLS/SACRAMENTO VALLEY-MOTHERLODE-
WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK-
WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SHASTA DAM ...BURNEY...REDDING...
RED BLUFF...CHICO...OROVILLE...MARYSVILLE/YUBA CITY ...
SACRAMENTO ...FAIRFIELD/SUISUN ...STOCKTON...MODESTO...
ALDER SPRINGS...LAKEPORT...PARADISE...GRASS VALLEY...JACKSON...
CHESTER...QUINCY...BLUE CANYON
...WET STORM TO BRING HEAVY SNOW AND SIGNIFICANT RAIN WEDNESDAY INTO
FRIDAY...
.IMPACTS...
*TRAVEL HAZARDS FROM WINTRY ROAD CONDITIONS THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY
*DEBRIS FLOWS POSSIBLE OVER RECENTLY BURNED AREAS
*LOCAL POWER OUTAGES AND DOWNED BRANCHES
*LOCALIZED FLOODING FROM WIND-BLOWN LEAVES CLOGGING
DRAINS/GUTTERS
.FORECAST CONFIDENCE...
*HIGH FOR WET PATTERN WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
*MEDIUM FOR HEAVY SNOW...GUSTY WINDS AND EXACT PRECIPITATION
AMOUNTS
.TIMING AND STRENGTH...
*ARRIVES WEDNESDAY, TAPERS OFF FRIDAY
*WIND: GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH IN THE VALLEY, HIGHER GUSTS NEAR
SIERRA CREST
*PRECIPITATION: 1-3 INCHES ACROSS THE VALLEY, UP TO 3 TO 6
INCHES FOR THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS
*SNOW: 12 INCHES ABOVE 6000 FEET. UP TO 2 TO 3 FEET OVER HIGH PEAKS.
.WEATHER SUMMARY...
A SERIES OF STORMS WITH MOIST PACIFIC AIR WILL BRING A WET PATTERN
FROM MID TO LATE WEEK...WITH PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN AND
HEAVY MOUNTAIN SNOW. SNOW WILL FALL BELOW PASS LEVELS THURSDAY
MORNING AND DROP FURTHER INTO FRIDAY...WITH OVER A FOOT OF NEW
SNOW POSSIBLE ABOVE 6000 FEET AND THE POTENTIAL FOR 2 TO 3 FEET
OVER HIGH PEAKS. RAIN TOTALS AROUND 1 TO 2 INCHES PROJECTED FOR
THE VALLEY...WITH THE LIQUID EQUIVALENT OF 3 TO 6 INCHES FOR THE
MOUNTAINS. BURNS SCARS FROM RECENT FIRES HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR
DEBRIS FLOWS. LEAVES CLOGGING DRAINS MAY CAUSE LOCAL PONDING AND
FLOODING OF ROADS. BREEZY SOUTHERLY WINDS EXPECTED IN THE
VALLEY..WITH GUSTS TO GREATER THAN 50 MPH ALONG THE SIERRA CREST.
THIS COULD CAUSE LOCAL POWER OUTAGES.
AN ADDITIONAL SYSTEM COULD IMPACT THE AREA ON SUNDAY...BUT
UNCERTAINTY IS HIGH AT THIS POINT.
