NOAA is forecasting the West Coast to get buried in rain, snow, and wind this week.  The storm is forecast to begin on Thursday and exit on Monday.

NOAA has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for Oregon and a Special Weather Statement for California (see below) both outlining the copious amount of precipitation and hurricane force winds forecast this week.

Snow levels will start high on the West Coast on Friday before lowering on Monday (details below).  

Multiple feet of snow are forecast above snow line with this storm.  

Mt. Baker WA, Mt. Rainier WA, Mt. Hood OR, Mt. Shasta CA, Mt. Lassen CA, and more are all going to get buried up top.

Bryan Allegretto of OpenSnow.com thinks we’ll see 1-2 feet of snow above snow line in Lake Tahoe, CA.

“Above the snow line above 9000 feet we should see 1-2 feet of heavy wet snow through the weekend.  Below that we should see some snow for the ski resorts, but only inches and not until the end.” – Bryan Allegretto/OpenSnow.com, today

HUGE PRECIPITATION FORECASTS NEXT 7-DAYS:

• 17.0″ for Olympic Mountains, WA
• 16.6″ for Northwestern California
• 14.9″ for Southern B.C.
• 12.9″ for Southwestern Washsington
• 12.8″ for Vancouver Island, B.C.
• 10.7″ for Mt. Lassen area, California

SNOW LEVELS FORECAST for WEST COAST:

6,000′ for Washington

An active weather pattern
will continue into the extended forecast period, with an upper
trough moving through on Friday for more rain and the snow level
around 6000 ft.
- NOAA Seattle, WA today

6,000-8,000′ for Oregon

Snow levels look to be above 8kft for the bulk of this precipitation
event, but could dip to near 7kft in heavier bursts of precipitation
and on the tail end of individual frontal systems through Saturday
night. Sunday through Monday snow levels are expected to lower to
near 6kft. - NOAA Medford, OR today

8,500′ for California

SNOW LEVELS ARE LIKELY TO BE
VERY HIGH WITH THIS STORM - MAINLY 8500 FEET AND ABOVE.
- NOAA Reno, NV today

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT for CALIFORNIA:

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
423 AM PDT TUE OCT 11 2016

SURPRISE VALLEY CALIFORNIA-LASSEN-EASTERN PLUMAS-
EASTERN SIERRA COUNTIES-GREATER LAKE TAHOE AREA-MONO COUNTY-
MINERAL AND SOUTHERN LYON COUNTIES-GREATER RENO-CARSON CITY-
MINDEN AREA-WESTERN NEVADA BASIN AND RANGE INCLUDING PYRAMID LAKE-
NORTHERN WASHOE COUNTY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CEDARVILLE...EAGLEVILLE...
FORT BIDWELL...PORTOLA...SUSANVILLE...WESTWOOD...SIERRAVILLE...
LOYALTON...SOUTH LAKE TAHOE...TAHOE CITY...TRUCKEE...
MARKLEEVILLE...BRIDGEPORT...COLEVILLE...LEE VINING...
MAMMOTH LAKES...HAWTHORNE...YERINGTON...SMITH VALLEY...MINA...
SCHURZ...STATELINE...GLENBROOK...INCLINE VILLAGE...SPARKS...
VERDI...GARDNERVILLE...VIRGINIA CITY...FERNLEY...FALLON...
LOVELOCK...SILVER SPRINGS...NIXON...IMLAY...EMPIRE...GERLACH

...SIGNIFICANT EARLY SEASON STORM TO IMPACT THE REGION LATE THIS
WEEK...

A TWO PART STRONG PACIFIC STORM IS FORECAST TO PUSH INTO THE WEST
COAST STARTING THURSDAY MORNING THEN MOVE INLAND THURSDAY NIGHT.
THE FIRST PART OF THIS STORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA...
WESTERN NEVADA AND THE NORTHERN SIERRA FROM THURSDAY NIGHT
THROUGH FRIDAY. WITH THE SECOND PART MOVING IN SATURDAY EVENING
INTO SUNDAY, POSSIBLY LASTING THROUGH EARLY MONDAY. THIS STORM
HAS A DEEP MOISTURE TAP ASSOCIATED WITH IT AND COULD BRING
SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF RAIN TO NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND THE
NORTHERN SIERRA OVER THE WEEKEND. SNOW LEVELS ARE LIKELY TO BE
VERY HIGH WITH THIS STORM - MAINLY 8500 FEET AND ABOVE.

VERY STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS ARE LIKELY ACROSS WESTERN NEVADA
FRIDAY. THIS SHOULD BE THE FIRST HIGH WIND EVENT OF THE SEASON.
DAMAGING WINDS GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE EAST OF THE SIERRA...ESPECIALLY
FROM THE HIGHWAY 395 CORRIDOR EAST TO NEAR THE HIGHWAY 95
CORRIDOR. DANGEROUS CROSS WINDS COULD MAKE TRAVEL FOR HIGH PROFILE
VEHICLES EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. EXPECT DANGEROUS CONDITIONS ON AREA
LAKES AND TURBULENCE IN ADDITION TO MOUNTAIN WAVE ACTIVITY AND
WIND SHEAR FOR AVIATION. HOLIDAY DECORATIONS AND ANY LOOSE OUTDOOR
ITEMS VULNERABLE TO HIGH WINDS SHOULD BE SECURED. A SECOND ROUND
OF STRONG, POTENTIALLY DAMAGING, WINDS ARE EXPECTED SATURDAY NIGHT
INTO SUNDAY.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER STATEMENT for OREGON:

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
325 AM PDT TUE OCT 11 2016

LOWER COLUMBIA-GREATER PORTLAND METRO AREA-
CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY-SOUTH WILLAMETTE VALLEY-
NORTHERN OREGON CASCADE FOOTHILLS-NORTHERN OREGON CASCADES-
CASCADE FOOTHILLS IN LANE COUNTY-CASCADES IN LANE COUNTY-
UPPER HOOD RIVER VALLEY-WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE-
CENTRAL COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE-SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADES-I-
5 CORRIDOR IN COWLITZ COUNTY-GREATER VANCOUVER AREA-
SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADE FOOTHILLS-

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST
OREGON...NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

TRANQUIL WEATHER TODAY AND TONIGHT...WITH AREAS OF MORNING AND
LATE NIGHT FOG. FOG MAY BE DENSE AT TIMES THIS MORNING...WITH
VISIBILITIES UNDER ONE QUARTER OF A MILE. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE
PREPARED TO STOP SUDDENLY IF NECESSARY...AND BE ALERT FOR
PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

A SERIES OF STRONG STORMS WILL PASS ACROSS THE REGION...STARTING
LATER WEDNESDAY NIGHT. RAIN MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES ON THURSDAY AND
THURSDAY EVENING...ALONG WITH GUSTY SOUTH WINDS. AT THAT
TIME...SOUTH WINDS LIKELY GUST 30 TO 40 MPH. WHILE NOT LIKELY TO
CREATE MUCH DAMAGE...THESE WINDS MAY BE ENOUGH CAUSE SPOTTY POWER
OUTAGES AND BREAK TREE LIMBS...ESPECIALLY SINCE MANY TREES ARE
STILL HEAVY WITH LEAVES.

A MUCH STRONGER STORM WILL PASS THE REGION LATER SATURDAY...WITH A
STRONG COLD FRONT MOVING ONSHORE SATURDAY EVENING. ANOTHER VERY
ROUND OF HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED...RESULTING IN LOCALIZED FLOODING
DUE TO PONDING OF WATER IN LOW LYING AREAS. BUT MAIN STORY WILL
BE THE GUSTY SOUTH WINDS. THESE WINDS MAY GUST 40 TO 55
MPH. AGAIN...THIS COULD BE ENOUGH TO BREAK TREE LIMBS AND CAUSE
SPOTTY POWER OUTAGES. STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY WITH THESE WIND
SPEEDS...AS COULD BE SOMEWHAT LOWER OR HIGHER DEPENDING ON THE
STORM TRACK.