Funnel Cloud in California, March 2, 2001

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA
330 PM PST FRI MAR 02 2001

STG SHRT WAVE EVIDENT ON WV IMAG SLIDING SE ACROSS THE SRN PTN OF
THE CWA ATTM. THIS FEATURE HAS TRIGGERED SOME ISOLD THUNDERSTORMS NW
OF SAC AND CONTD NUMEROUS SHWRS ALG THE W SLPS OF THE SIERNEV.
EXPECT THIS ACTIVITY WILL DIMINISH THIS EVNG AS THE SHRT WV MOVES
EAST AS STGR SUBSIDENCE DVLPS IN ITS WAKE.

FOCUS THEN TURNS TO DVLPG PTTN UPSTREAM OVR THE EPAC. THE STG SYS
TAKING SHAPE OUT ALONG 140W BETWEEN 30N AND 40N IS FORECAST BY MDLS
TO APPROACH THE COAST SAT AND MOVE INLD SAT NGT AND SUN. CONFIDENCE
IN MDL SOLNS IS IMPROVING...AS THEY APPEAR TO BE FAIRLY WELL
INITIALIZED...AND PTTN IS BECMG MORE PROGRESSIVE. WILL CONT SHWR
CHCS SAT AS STATIONARY FRNT REMAINS DRAPED ACROSS NORCAL...AND LWR
LVL RH REMAINS PLENTIFUL DESPITE RELATIVELY WK FORCING. ETA BUFKIT
CONTS TO SHOW LINGERING SHALLOW INSTAB WITH CAPES 100-200. APPEARS
THE HVYST PCPN WILL HOLD OFF UNTIL LTR SAT NGT AND SUN JET DYNAMICS
INCREASE AND STG WARM ADVCTN DVLPS. PLUME OF PW/S PROGGED TO
INCREASE TO AN INCH OR MORE. IN ADDITION...WILL HAVE TO WATCH
DVLPMNT OF SFC LOW OFF THE WCOAST AS IT APPROACHES NORCAL. CUD SEE
SOME VERY STG SOUTHERLY WINDS SUN AS SAC-FAT GRADS INCREASE TO 6 MBS
AND H85 WINDS INCREASE TO 50+ KNOTS.  LOW CLOSES OFF OVR SOCAL ERLY
NXT WK WITH WRAP AROUND PCPN CHCS CONTG INTO ERLY NXT WK.  ROWE

.STO...WINTER STORM WATCH SAT NGT AND SUN FOR THE NRN MTNS OF SHASTA
        COUNTY...THE INTERIOR COAST RANGE...AND THE WEST SLOPES OF
        THE NRN SIERRA NEVADA NORTH OF YOSEMITE INCLUDING WRN PLUMAS
        COUNTY AND LASSEN NP.

BLU ES 027/037 029/033 030 68558
RBL ER 036/060 042/053 043 68236
SAC ER 039/057 046/053 048 68236

CAZ013>019-063-064-066>069-031400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA
300 PM PST FRI MAR 2 2001

...STRONG WEATHER SYSTEM WILL BRING SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION TO
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA THIS WEEKEND...

SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS A WET WEATHER SYSTEM OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN
THAT IS POISED TO MOVE INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. PRECIPITATION IS
EXPECTED TO BEGIN BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THE HEAVIEST RAIN AND SNOW
WILL OCCUR SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. IN ADDITION...WIND SHOULD BE
RATHER STRONG WITH THIS SYSTEM. VALLEY WINDS SHOULD BE THE STRONGEST
ON SUNDAY WHEN GUSTS COULD EXCEED 40 MPH. WIND ACROSS THE HIGHER
TERRAIN COULD EXCEED 60 MPH.

RAINFALL TOTALS THROUGH SUNDAY ACROSS THE CENTRAL VALLEY COULD RANGE
FROM 1 TO 2 INCHES. 2 TO 4 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION IS POSSIBLE IN
THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS. SNOWFALL WILL LIKELY EXCEED 2 FEET
ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN. SNOW LEVELS BETWEEN 3000 AND 4000 FEET ON
SATURDAY WILL RISE TO AROUND 3500 ACROSS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS TO AROUND
4500 FEET IN THE SIERRA LATER SUNDAY. WINTER STORM WATCHES HAVE BEEN
ISSUED FOR THE HIGHER TERRAIN.

SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO MONDAY AND POSSIBLY TUESDAY AS
THE MAIN STORM SYSTEM DROPS INTO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

PERSONS PLANNING TRAVEL INTO OR OVER NORTHERN CALIFORNIA MOUNTAINS
SHOULD MONITOR THE WEEKEND WEATHER SITUATION CAREFULLY. TRAVELING
THROUGH THE SIERRA NEVADA...COASTAL OR NORTHERN MOUNTAINS COULD BE
HAZARDOUS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. FOR THE LATEST WEATHER
CONDITIONS AND FORECASTS...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEB
PAGE AT THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESS: WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/SACRAMENTO (ALL
LOWER CASE9).

TARDY