Winter Storm Watch for Southern Sierra in California, Not Northern Sierra…

NOAA has issued a Winter Storm Watch for Friday afternoon until Sunday night in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains of California.  The watch is only for the southern Sierra because that’s where the highest mountains are and snow levels are forecast to be high with the beginning of this storm.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...1 TO 2 FEET POSSIBLE ABOVE 7000 FEET FROM
  YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON. 6 TO 12 INCHES ABOVE 7000 FEET IN
  TULARE COUNTY. 4 TO 10 INCHES POSSIBLE BELOW 7000 FEET. 
  - NOAA Hanford, CA today

Snow levels will start at 8,000-feet on Friday before lowering to 4,000-feet on Saturday.

* SNOW LEVEL...STARTING ABOVE 8000 FEET FRIDAY...LOWERING BELOW
  4000 FEET BY SUNDAY.
 - NOAA Hanford, CA today

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Lets hope the infographic above is correct and that Tahoe sees 12 hours of snowfall above 7,000-feet.  That could really help after 18+hours of heavy rain forecast…

California is having a banner year so far with Sugar Bowl at 337″ of snowfall this season putting them at the 3rd biggest snowfall total of any ski resort in North America.

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WINTER STORM WATCH for CALIFORNIA:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
151 PM PST WED JAN 27 2016

SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-
TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SHAVER LAKE...YOSEMITE VALLEY...
CAMP NELSON...GIANT FOREST...JOHNSONDALE...LODGEPOLE

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
LATE SUNDAY NIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HANFORD HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE
SUNDAY NIGHT.

* HAZARD TYPES...HEAVY ACCUMULATION OF SNOW. STRONG GUSTY WINDS.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...1 TO 2 FEET POSSIBLE ABOVE 7000 FEET FROM
  YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON. 6 TO 12 INCHES ABOVE 7000 FEET IN
  TULARE COUNTY. 4 TO 10 INCHES POSSIBLE BELOW 7000 FEET.

* SNOW LEVEL...STARTING ABOVE 8000 FEET FRIDAY...LOWERING BELOW
  4000 FEET BY SUNDAY.

* TIMING...SNOW BEGINNING FRIDAY FROM FRESNO COUNTY NORTH AND
  SPREADING SOUTHWARD THROUGH SATURDAY. HEAVIEST ACCUMULATIONS
  OCCURRING FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT.

* IMPACTS...SNOW COVERED ROADS...BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...
  HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS...TRAVEL DELAYS AND POSSIBLE ROAD
  CLOSURES. SNOW AND WIND MAY CAUSE FALLING TREE BRANCHES OR
  LIMBS. DANGEROUS CONDITIONS FOR HIKERS AND CAMPERS.