[pct-l] Winter storm for the Sierras this weekend, possible foot or more of snow at 8000 ft. starts Thursday

[mattjolley at comcast.net]

The satellite photo shows the first front coming in.   33 MPH Gusting winds also forecast. 




SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 
1005 PM PDT WED OCT 29 2008 

CAZ013>019-063-064-066>069-301500- 
SHASTA LAKE AREA / NORTHERN SHASTA COUNTY- 
BURNEY BASIN / EASTERN SHASTA COUNTY-NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY- 
CENTRAL SACRAMENTO VALLEY-SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY- 
CARQUINEZ STRAIT AND DELTA-NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- 
MOUNTAINS SOUTHWESTERN SHASTA COUNTY TO NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY- 
CLEAR LAKE/SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY- 
NORTHEAST FOOTHILLS/SACRAMENTO VALLEY-MOTHERLODE- 
WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK- 
WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA- 
1005 PM PDT WED OCT 29 2008 


...COOL AND WET WEATHER EXPECTED THURSDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND... 

THE WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO BECOME WETTER AND COOLER 
THURSDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH SEVERAL SYSTEMS MOVING ACROSS 
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. THE FIRST STORM SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE 
REGION ON THURSDAY WITH SOME SHOWERS POSSIBLY STARTING IN THE 
MOUNTAINS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AHEAD OF THE MAIN SYSTEM. RAIN WILL 
START TO MOVE OVER THE INTERIOR COASTAL RANGE AND DELTA THURSDAY 
EVENING AND THEN SPREAD EASTWARD THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE 
CENTRAL VALLEY AND WESTERN SLOPES THURSDAY NIGHT. PRECIPITATION 
MAY TAPER OFF FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...ESPECIALLY IN THE 
VALLEY AND FOOTHILLS IN BETWEEN SYSTEMS. A GREATEST THREAT OF 
SHOWERS DURING THAT TIME PERIOD WILL REMAIN OVER THE NORTHERN 
SACRAMENTO VALLEY...NORTHERN FOOTHILLS...THE COASTAL RANGE FROM 
NORTHERN NAPA COUNTY AND PLACES NORTHWARD AND THE HIGHER 
ELEVATIONS OF THE SIERRA NEVADA. A STRONGER STORM SYSTEM IS 
EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT 
WITH A THIRD SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT. 

RAINFALL TOTALS THROUGH THE WEEKEND FROM ALL OF THESE STORMS COULD 
RANGE FROM 3 TO 5 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS...WITH THE GREATEST 
AMOUNTS EXPECTED OVER WESTERN SHASTA AND WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTIES. 
THE CENTRAL VALLEY RAINFALL AMOUNTS COULD RANGE FROM AROUND ONE 
HALF AN INCH NEAR MODESTO TO NEAR 2 INCHES NEAR REDDING. RAINFALL 
FROM THE SERIES OF STORMS COULD POSE SOME PROBLEMS FOR SOME OF 
THE BURN AREAS FROM THE WILDFIRES THIS PAST SUMMER AND WILL BRING 
THE POTENTIAL FOR MUD AND DEBRIS FLOWS. 

SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT RELATIVELY HIGH ABOVE 8000 FEET AND 
SLOWLY LOWER THROUGH THE WEEKEND...POSSIBLY TO AROUND 5000 FEET BY 
MONDAY. THE TIME FRAME OF MOST CONCERN FOR SNOW ACCUMULATION BELOW 
PASS LEVEL WILL MOSTLY LIKELY BE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING AS 
THE SNOW LEVELS DROP. PERIODS OF GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE ALSO 
EXPECTED WITH THESE SYSTEMS. ABOVE 8000 FEET SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL 
ACCUMULATION IS POSSIBLE WITH A FOOT OR MORE OR SNOWFALL LIKELY. 

MOTORISTS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY DRIVING CONDITIONS 
LATE THURSDAY AND THROUGH THE WEEKEND DUE TO THE COMBINATION OF 
RAINFALL AND THE ACCUMULATION OF OILS ON AREA ROADWAYS. WINTER 
WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS THIS WEEKEND. 

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLET OR VISIT 
OUR WEBSITE AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SACRAMENTO FOR THE LATEST 
UPDATES ON THE CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS THROUGH THIS WEEKEND