1-8-13
...COLD STORM ARRIVES FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY... A COLD GULF OF ALASKA STORM WILL MOVE INTO INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA STARTING WEDNESDAY AND CONTINUING THROUGH THURSDAY. THIS WILL BRING SOME RAIN TO THE VALLEY WITH SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS AND INTO THE FOOTHILLS. THIS SYSTEM DOES NOT HAVE A STRONG MOISTURE TAP SO PRECIPITATION WILL BE RELATIVELY LIMITED. PRECIPITATION IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP OVER THE COASTAL MOUNTAINS WEDNESDAY MORNING THEN SPREAD OVER THE ENTIRE AREA BY WEDNESDAY EVENING. THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED WITH A COLD FRONT PUSHING THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING. A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE INTO EARLY FRIDAY. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 6 INCHES ARE FORECAST FOR THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING. LIGHT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS FROM A TRACE TO AROUND AN INCH ARE POSSIBLE IN THE FOOTHILLS ON THURSDAY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN THE VALLEY GENERALLY WILL RANGE FROM A TRACE IN THE SOUTH TO A QUARTER OF AN INCH OR LESS OVER THE NORTH. SNOW LEVELS ARE FORECAST TO INITIALLY BE AROUND 4000 FEET OVER THE SHASTA AND COASTAL MOUNTAINS WEDNESDAY...THEN LOWER TO AROUND 1500 FEET WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND AS LOW AS 500 FEET BY THURSDAY. OVER THE SIERRA NEVADA...SNOW LEVELS WILL DROP FROM 4000 FEET WEDNESDAY NIGHT TO AROUND 1500 FEET BY THURSDAY MORNING. GUSTY WEST WIND IS LIKELY OVER HIGHER MOUNTAIN RIDGES WITH LOCAL GUSTS OVER 55 MPH POSSIBLE. TEMPERATURES BY FRIDAY MORNING WILL BE WELL BELOW AVERAGE WITH TEENS AND SINGLE DIGITS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND THE UPPER 20S IN THE VALLEY. THE SYSTEM WILL BE EXITING THE AREA WITH CLEARING SKIES IN THE VALLEY AND JUST A FEW LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS IN THE MOUNTAINS. THE COOL TEMPERATURES COMBINED WITH SOME BREEZY NORTH WINDS WILL MAKE IT FEEL UNUSUALLY COLD IN THE MORNING BEFORE WARMING IN THE AFTERNOON. PERSONS TRAVELING INTO THE MOUNTAINS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY MAY ENCOUNTER TRAVEL DELAYS FROM SLIPPERY ROADS AND POOR VISIBILITY.
