NOAA: Winter Storm Warning for California | 1-2 Feet of Snow Forecast Wed/Thurs

NOAA has broadened its Winter Storm Watch, issued a Winter Storm Warning, and a Winter Weather Advisory in California today.

NOAA is calling for 1-2 feet of snowfall Wednesday and Thursday with snow levels starting around 6,500-feet then dropping as low as 3,500-feet.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...1 TO 2 FEET POSSIBLE ABOVE 6000 FEET WITH
  UP TO 10 INCHES ABOVE 5000 FEET TAPERING TO A COUPLE INCHES
  DOWN TO 3500 FEET.

* SNOW LEVELS...INITIALLY ABOVE 6500 FEET WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...
  LOWERING TO AROUND 3500 TO 4000 FEET THURSDAY MORNING. - NOAA Sacramento, CA today

California hasn’t seen snow or rain since February 1st, so this will be a very welcome change.

5 ski resorts in California have received over 300″ of snowfall this winter.

The California snowpack is currently sitting at about 99% of average to date.

The only thing we don’t like about this forecast is that NOAA thinks the high pressure ridge is going to come back to CA this weekend…

FOR SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY, GENERAL CONSENSUS CONTINUES FOR A RIDGE
OF HIGH PRESSURE REBUILDING OVER THE WESTERN U.S. - NOAA Reno, NV today

WINTER STORM WATCH for CALIFORNIA:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA
744 PM PST MON FEB 15 2016

...HEAVY MOUNTAIN SNOW POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY...

.SNOW WILL BEGIN IN THE SOUTHERN CASCADES WEDNESDAY MORNING...
SPREADING INTO THE SIERRA NEVADA BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. PERIODS
OF HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS POSSIBLE INTO THURSDAY MORNING.
SNOW LEVELS WILL INITIALLY BE ABOVE 6500 FEET WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
BUT WILL LOWER TO AROUND 3500 TO 4000 FEET THURSDAY MORNING. UP
TO 2 FEET OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE OVER THE PASSES. SNOW WILL TAPER
OFF BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO EVENING.

WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA-
INCLUDING THE CITY OF...BLUE CANYON

...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON...

* MAIN IMPACT: PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS. EXPECT
  HAZARDOUS TRAVEL... CHAIN REQUIREMENTS... AND POSSIBLE DELAYS.

* CONFIDENCE...HIGH

* TIMING...LIGHT SNOW BEGINS AROUND MIDDAY INTO EARLY AFTERNOON
  WEDNESDAY... BECOMING MODERATE TO HEAVY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
  INTO EVENING AND CONTINUING INTO THURSDAY MORNING.

* LOCATIONS...INTERSTATE 80...HIGHWAYS 50... 88... 89... AND 4.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...1 TO 2 FEET POSSIBLE ABOVE 6000 FEET WITH
  UP TO 10 INCHES ABOVE 5000 FEET TAPERING TO A COUPLE INCHES
  DOWN TO 3500 FEET.

* SNOW LEVELS...INITIALLY ABOVE 6500 FEET WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...
  LOWERING TO AROUND 3500 TO 4000 FEET THURSDAY MORNING.

* WINDS...GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WIND UP TO 50 MPH OVER HIGHER
  TERRAIN AT TIMES.