1-22-13
...RETURN OF WET WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY AND THIS WEEKEND... AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF DRY WEATHER...AN INCOMING STORM WILL SPREAD PRECIPITATION ACROSS INTERIOR NORCAL TOMORROW. THIS SYSTEM IS TAPPING INTO A WELL ESTABLISHED NORTH- SOUTH ORIENTED MOISTURE PLUME OFFSHORE WITH PEAK PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES RANGING 1 TO 1.5 INCHES. PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN ALONG THE NORCAL COASTLINE INTO THE COASTAL MOUNTAINS BY WEDNESDAY MORNING AND SPREAD INLAND BY AFTERNOON. RAIN AMOUNTS FOR VALLEY AND FOOTHILLS WILL RANGE BETWEEN 0.25 TO 0.75 OF AN INCH WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS UP TO AN INCH POSSIBLE. RAIN SHOWERS COULD BE MODERATE AT TIMES WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO EVENING. SNOW LEVELS WILL GENERALLY BE HIGH AND THIS STORM COULD BRING A COUPLE OF INCHES OF SNOW TO AREAS ABOVE 6000 FT...HOWEVER...SOME SNOW LEVELS MAY BE LOCALLY LOWER DOWN TO AROUND 5000 FT. IMPACTS WILL INCLUDE SLICK ROADS IN THE VALLEY AND MOUNTAINS DUE TO RAIN AND SNOW. IN AREAS OF MODERATE RAIN THERE COULD BE PONDING OF WATER. MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION AND DRIVE SLOWLY WHEN ENCOUNTERING SLICK CONDITIONS. ANOTHER ROUND OF WET WEATHER IS FORECAST THIS WEEKEND WHICH COULD IMPACT WEEKEND TRAVEL. THIS SYSTEM WILL BE COLDER WITH LOWER SNOW LEVELS BUT MAY NOT BRING AS MUCH RAIN TO THE VALLEY.