If you have any plans at all to go into any part of the Sierra (northern or southern) between now and through Sunday, please read first these two Winter Storm Watches from the NWS (the first one is for the Southern Sierra; the second one is for the Northern Sierra)! This system will significantly impact the entire Sierra range.
SOUTHERN SIERRA
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
300 AM PST THU DEC 10 2009
SERIES OF STORMS TO IMPACT THE SOUTHERN SIERRA WITH SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL EXPECTED STARTING TONIGHT AND CONTINUING THROUGH SUNDAY
A SERIES OF STORM SYSTEMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA STARTING TONIGHT AND CONTINUING INTO SUNDAY. SEVERAL FEET OF SNOW IS EXPECTED BY LATE SUNDAY ACROSS THE SOUTHERN SIERRA. EXACT TIMING OF EACH SYSTEM IS STILL UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME. NEARLY CONTINUOUS SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY WITH BRIEF BREAKS IN BETWEEN SYSTEMS. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT AS THE STRONGEST STORM SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH.
KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS -- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...TEHACHAPI...LAKE ISABELLA...SHAVER LAKE...YOSEMITE VALLEY...CAMP NELSON...GIANT FOREST...JOHNSONDALE...LODGEPOLE
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HANFORD HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH, WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA.
TIMING: PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED STARTING LATE TONIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED ON SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT.
TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATION: SEVERAL FEET OF SNOW IS EXPECTED ABOVE 7000 FEET.
WINDS: VERY STRONG WEST WINDS OF 40 TO 60 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 80 MPH ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE CREST OF THE SIERRA NEVADA. WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE PASSES OF THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS.
NORTHERN SIERRA
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
446 AM PST THU DEC 10 2009
STRONG STORM EXPECTED FOR FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY.
A DISTURBANCE OFF THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST WILL MOVE INTO THE SIERRA AND WESTERN NEVADA THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. A LIGHT SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED IN THE SIERRA AND OUT INTO WESTERN NEVADA BY FRIDAY MORNING, WHICH MAY CAUSE SOME TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES.
A SECOND MUCH STRONGER SYSTEM IS EXPECTED FOR FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. THERE ARE STILL SIGNIFICANT MODEL DIFFERENCES AS TO LOCATION AND AMOUNT OF SNOWFALL IN THE SIERRA. HOWEVER, HEAVY SNOWFALL COULD FALL FOR PORTIONS OF THE SIERRA FROM FRIDAY NIGHT TO SATURDAY NIGHT.
LASSEN-EASTERN PLUMAS-EASTERN SIERRA COUNTIES-GREATER LAKE TAHOE AREA-MONO:
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...PORTOLA...SUSANVILLE...SOUTH LAKE TAHOE...TRUCKEE...BRIDGEPORT...MAMMOTH LAKES...INCLINE VILLAGE
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RENO HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH, WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT.
TIMING: SNOW SHOWERS IN THE SIERRA ARE EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY FRIDAY EVENING, WITH PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL POSSIBLE THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT.
TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: ONE TO THREE FEET ABOVE 6000 FEET, WITH LESSER AMOUNTS DOWN TO LOWER VALLEY FLOORS.
WINDS: SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH. RIDGE GUSTS OVER 100 MPH ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT.
SNOW LEVELS: BELOW ALL VALLEY FLOORS FRIDAY EVENING, POSSIBLY RISING TO 5500 FEET SATURDAY MORNING BEFORE FALLING BELOW ALL VALLEY FLOORS AGAIN BY SATURDAY EVENING.
IMPACTS: MAJOR TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES POSSIBLE OVER SIERRA PASSES WITH NEAR WHITEOUT CONDITIONS.
Last edited by CaT; 12/10/09 12:51 PM. Reason: Added Northern Sierra Winter Storm Watch
